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If you would like to walk with me, click here and follow the appropriate instructions to register.
A message from Barbara:
Dear Friends, Family and Colleagues,
As most of you are aware, I am involved with advocating for people diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness. For the last five years I have been a Vice President on the board of NAMI New York City Metro. NAMI stands for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI NYC has an upcoming walkathon which represents our single largest source of revenue in our annual budget. Our NYC walkathon, the largest mental health walk in the United States, will be held at the South Street Seaport on Saturday, May 8, 2010. I hope you're able to make a donation to sponsor me during these fragile economic times. If you can't donate, perhaps you'll consider walking with Team Ricci?
NAMI, America's voice on mental illness, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all those whose lives are touched by mental illness. This includes persons with mental illness, their family, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers. The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates (NYC being the largest one), 50 state offices and a national office.
The goals of NAMI are: to fight stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved, and to provide free programs and services to people in need.
These past couple years serving the US veterans and their families has turned into a high priority issue for NAMI NYC. NAMI NYC is the New York state affiliate designated with partnering with the Manhattan VA Hospital to offer our Family-to-Family course. This is a multi-week , evidence based psychoeducation program for families who have a loved one with mental illness. We also offer our Peer-to-Peer course for veterans who have psychiatric disabilities which could have resulted from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury. Lastly, we're hosting NAMI Connections, a weekly recovery oriented support group at the hospital.
NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A+" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars. NAMI has also been given 4 out of 4 stars by The Charity Navigator for short-term spending practices and long-term sustainability.
If you are fortunate enough to be in a position to donate, please visit http://www.nami.org/namiwalks10/nyc/ricci. Donating online is fast and secure and I'll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Barbara Ricci
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