Time to honor challenges posed by mental illness
Mental Illness Awareness Week is sponsored by the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and is a national observance that was created by a Presidential proclamation in 1990 to focus attention on the high incidence of mental illness in America.
Over the past 17 years, MIAW has become a tradition in the NAMI grassroots. The statistics of psychological illness from the American Psychiatric Association, has reported that roughly 15 percent of U.S. adults — about one in five — suffer from diagnosable mental disorders in every given year. The World Health Organization (WHO) is 12 percent but will increase to 15 percent in the year 2020.
During Mental Illness Awareness Week, millions of Americans will be honoring the challenges encountered by mental illness as well as celebrating the recoveries they or their loved ones have embraced. This year”s theme, “Building Community, Taking Action,” allows us all to join together in our communities across America to confront injustice, denounce stigma, and work together to build on the vision of NAMI as well as Safe Haven Club House here in Clearlake.
The club house is currently meeting weekly from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays at Redbud Library to socialize as well as supporting each other; and also to help work on obtaining the physical building that will house the Safe Haven Club House and make more services available to the mentally ill in Lake County. Call 998-3658 for more information or join us.
Patricia Goodson
Board president
Safe Haven Club House
Get flu shot early this year
Getting the flu shot each year is the single best way to protect yourself and the ones you love from influenza and its complications. If you have Medicare, a flu shot is one of the many preventive benefits you receive.
Staying healthy means getting your annual flu shot. Enjoy life. Stay active. Get your flu shot as early as October or anytime through January or February.
Peter Bauer
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Old Time Bluegrass Festival was an incredible event
On Saturday, Sept. 23, Lake County was treated to an incredible event! The Old Time Bluegrass Festival at Anderson Marsh was awesome. The musicians were great! The attendance was great! The weather was great!
I saw so many people I knew, people I didn”t know and people talking about this being their first trip to our county. Young and old alike all came and sat in the shade, tapped their toes, clapped their hands and thoroughly enjoyed this event. Attendees and families spent a pleasant day listening to fantastic music, eating good food, participating in the children”s activitites, checking out all the vendors, sitting in on workshops, viewing the Art in the Barn, etc. Small groups of musicians put on impromptu jam sessions that added to the overall spirit of the day.
As a lover of bluegrass music, I was thrilled to have been able to attend this festival at Anderson Marsh. At the last minute, I was lucky to be able to volunteer some time at the festival, as it added to my experience and appreciation for all that went into bringing this very special day to our community.
Anna and Frank McAtee, the movers and shakers of this festival, are two of the nicest people I have ever met. Their committment and hard work as well as everyone who helped them put on this fabulous event have my heartfelt thanks! The added bonus of the proceeds being used to develop a living history program and curriculum at the park to benefit local students is wonderful — icing on the cake.
Our community was truly blessed when the McAtees moved here!
Anita Gordon
Clearlake
