Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Oct 25, 2020 | #BIPOCMentalHealth, #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Youth mental health
When COVID first struck, I, like many other college students found myself back in my childhood bedroom. We abruptly transitioned to lectures on Zoom, curfews, and memories of high school while convincing ourselves that we would be back at school soon enough. Yet, while I adjusted to the new normal, I had to simultaneously prepare myself for another drastic change. We first heard that we would have to move back in October 2019, about two months into my freshman year of college. “There’s a backlog in processing green cards right now,” my dad explained as we drove to the airport at the end of Fall Break. In theory, the problem seemed simple, our visas were expiring and the hold in the immigration system meant we wouldn’t be receiving our permanent residency in time, which meant we would have to leave the U.S. But the reality of this situation consumed our family for the following ten months. It meant my dad leaving the U.S for three months in an effort to extend our visas and my mom staying up for nights on end trying to comprehend complex legal jargon and coordinating calls between lawyers. It meant my sister having to go to school every day knowing that the senior year she had been looking forward to for the past three years would no longer be happening. For me, it meant watching my family undergo all of these two thousand miles away and try to balance my life in college at the same time. Every conversation revolved around new updates from the lawyers, trying to learn the names of different immigration forms,...
Tags: by Phillis Benson | Oct 21, 2020 | #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, MentalHealthMatters, Youth mental health
Every year, we look forward to celebrating the impact our donors, sponsors and storytellers have helped us have in our community and share our plans for the year ahead. We were so grateful to everyone who joined us at the virtual Celebration of Hope on October 6th – a night filled with inspiring stories of courage, hope and resilience. We are most grateful to our sponsors and donors who helped us raise funds to support our youth mental health programs to promote mental well-being and prevent suicides. There’s still time to support ASHA International’s work in the coming year. Your gift allows us to reach more students in more classrooms virtually in 2021! Make a gift today to support the life-changing work. Together, we are creating communities of hope, empathy and inclusion where all children can learn and thrive. Thanks to our sponsors for their generous support! Enjoy the videos from the 2020 Celebration of Hope! [embedyt]...
Tags: by Phillis Benson | Oct 20, 2020 | #BIPOCMentalHealth, #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, #WomensMentalHealth, MentalHealthMatters
On September 18th, women from across cultures came together to share their mental health stories to give hope and empower each other to heal and thrive. And, women from across the Unites States and around the world joined in virtually. Thank you to all who attended and to all who bravely shared their stories. We once again thank our generous sponsors for making this event possible. And thanks to all our hardworking volunteers who gave their precious time to come together to create a community of connection, hope and well-being. Together, we are normalizing conversations about mental health and inspiring hope and well-being, one story at a time. We can’t wait to see you all at the 2021 Grit & Grace Conference! Thank you for your valuable testimonials! Here are a few we would like to share: “WOW! Completely blown away. It was one of the best conferences I’ve been to in ages. So inspiring, motivating, and uplifting. It was exactly what I didn’t know I needed at this moment in my life. So thank you for that. I appreciated the multiple voices and perspectives and really, really found the youth so inspiring. Can’t thank you enough.” “The Grit and Grace Conference was beautifully put together. The passion and genuineness of each presenter was felt and seen. It was great to hear people tell their own stories and offer support and a togetherness through this avenue. This was important for the mental health field as well as for all humans as we navigate these troubling, tumultuous waters.” “The Grit and Grace Conference was very uplifting and different. This was...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Oct 8, 2020 | #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Mental health & wellness, MentalHealthMatters
I recently had an insightful and thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Vikram Patel on how to address inequities in mental health care and ensure mental health for all. Dr. Vikram Patel is The Pershing Square Professor of Global Health in the Blavatnik Institute’s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is a co-founder of Sangath, an Indian NGO which won the MacArthur Foundation’s International Prize for Creative and Effective Institutions in 2008 and was listed in TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential persons of the year in 2015. His accomplishments are far too many to...
Tags: by Gayathri Ramprasad | Oct 8, 2020 | #MyStoryMYSUPERPOWER, Mental health & wellness, MentalHealthMatters
October 10th is World Mental Health Day. It’s a day to remind ourselves that mental health is an integral part of our well-being. And, take time each day to nurture our mental health. Over the last seven months, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended and impacted every aspect of our lives – including our mental health. The uncertainly, fears, isolation and loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is having a detrimental impact on our mental health & wellbeing. And, it’s ok to not feel ok. You are not alone. We are here to help. We have over 150 Stories of Hope, a wide range of Health & Wellness Articles, and a list of organizations to help you and your loved ones take care of your mental health & wellbeing. Please check out these resources on our website. Be safe. Be strong. Together, we will emerge through these difficult times kinder, stronger and more resilient....
