Steps Against Stigma walk is Saturday at Wick Park

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Mahoning Valley organization is hosting an Our Steps Against Stigma Walk on Saturday in Wick Park on the North Side.

The 1-mile fundraiser walk is largely to bring greater awareness of mental illness and help break the stigma that often surrounds people who suffer from it, organizers say.

There is no registration fee, though donations are encouraged. Proceeds will go toward providing support, advocacy and education to those in the Mahoning Valley who are dealing with mental illness, along with their families.

Registration gets underway at 10:30 a.m. in the park, and the walk begins at 1 p.m. The event also will include vendors, various demonstrations and a basket raffle.

NAMI Mahoning Valley’s main offerings are peer-to-peer, a 10-week holistic educational program open to adults with mental illness; family-to-family, a 12-week program aimed at friends and family members of those with mental-health challenges; monthly family support groups that provide information, resources and support; and a weekly Connection support group that links adults with a mental illness in a structured discussion format.

For information about the walk, call NAMI at 330-727-9268, or email namimv@yahoo.com.