Rossa's note: I'm on the Advisory Group of Mother Bear and have taken two of its online courses on practicing recovery and sustaining hope. I am so grateful to Mother Bear for filling a huge gap in the recovery movement -- helping families to understand and appreciate the human side of psychosis and mental distress. Mother Bear's online courses and Help Hotline, is a godsend. A few months ago my son, Chris, called the hotline when he needed an empathic someone to help him work through his emotional state. He keeps the SOS phone number handy and knows he can be listened to with empathy when he calls.
I've made my donation to keeping the Hope Light brighter and I urge you to consider donating, too.
As many of you know, for the past two years I have been working for a labor of love-literally and figuratively-as Managing Director of a new nonprofit, Mother Bear: Families for Mental Health ( http://www.facebook.com/l/
The traditional medical system, friends and other family members have often given up all hope for these families. Not surprisingly, families come to us with barely a flicker of hope left that their loved one will ever recover or that they will recover from the exhaustion and worry that comes from caring for someone who is in chronic distress.
That is what is heartbreaking about my work. Seeing how deeply families are struggling without support.
What is heartwarming is being able to share with families that with support and education, we can help them reduce relapse rates by as much as 75%. Fact. Decades of research to prove it.
Recovery from even severe emotional challenges is not only possible, it should be EXPECTED… with the right support, of which there is precious little.
That’s where we come in. Mother Bear is, quite literally, a light in the darkness for families.
I am asking you to consider helping us burn our Hope Light brighter by making a contribution of any kind to Mother Bear today (Dec. 3rd), otherwise known as #GivingTuesday.
#GivingTuesday is a movement that encourages people to take collaborative action and harnesses the power of social media to create an international Day of Giving that thrives on the spirit of generosity and amplifies small acts of kindness in the service of changing our world for the better.
Here are just a few of the ways you can help Mother Bear transform lives:
* “Like” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/
*Post our #GivingTuesday link on your Timeline and ask your friends and networks to do the same.
( http://www.facebook.com/l/
*Call our Hope Line at 1-855-I HOPE 4 U between midnight tonight throughtomorrow Dec. 3 (ending at 11:59 pm) and tell us what brings YOU hope. We’ll share it with our growing network of families on Facebook and Twitter! (I’ll be taking calls from 8 am to 3 pm tomorrow if you want to call and tell me your hope story personally!)
*Make a financial gift in any amount. If you contribute before 11:59 pm on Dec. 3, your gift (and your friends’) will be matched up to $150K! (That is a lot of HOPE!)
( https://www.facebook.com/l/
Our special goal for this campaign is to secure the resources and staff necessary to increase our Hope Line hours in 2014 so more families can get support when they need it. We are currently the only toll-free Family Mental Health support line in the country.
I'm grateful for your friendship, your support and all the healing work you do in your own ways!
Wishing you all Hope- and Love-Filled, Healthy Holidays!
Jen
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