This holiday season, we are looking to spread hope and joy to families across the region while increasing mental health awareness. Our holiday efforts seek to build community and collective resilience amid challenging times. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reported that the highest rate for child psychiatric hospitalizations occurs during the winter, and dissatisfaction and loneliness are the most common symptoms of the holiday blues. Exacerbating circumstances such as joblessness, social isolation, sickness, loss of family resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the mental conditions of our community.

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Our communities are experiencing a crisis and need emergency management strategies that build community and collective resilience. PiGive plans to bring resources and social assets into the community to address the impending holiday blues. We plan to serve as a community resource by uplifting families during the holidays through our iGive Angels Collaborative.

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iGive Angels is a community collaborative that will bring awareness to mental health and offer resilience resources for addressing emotional distress. We are partnering with local businesses, nonprofit agencies, and faith-based institutions to bridge the gap between community needs and existing resources. We will host virtual events sharing resources and partner with faith-based institutions to share information with their lay members. We plan to meet the community where they are to offer resources. In addition to resource sharing and allocation, our collaborative partnership will host a holiday breakfast for at least 60 families. The families will receive the following:

 

Food

Memorable moments family photo session, and

Additional Gifts

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Social connection is a vital resilience resource, and our community collaboration will allow families the opportunity to share experiences and connect. Our goal is to make families aware that they are loved and valued. We also desire to give families a safe space to amplify their voices and to let them know they are not alone. Together, we can overcome any crisis!