6 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI
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ur last affiliate meeting at Galloway United Methodist Church in Jackson was held on September 23, 2019. The meeting was wonderfully facilitated by Debbie Dale, who has since moved to Louisiana. We truly miss her presence. Debbie provided home-cooked refreshments and shared her mental health story, which included poetry. Her story was heartfelt and memorable. The theme of the meeting was “Suicide Survivors Left Behind,” and the guest speaker for the meeting was Vickie Winslett, president and co-founder of Mississippi Alliance to End Suicide. Her detailed presentation was effective in sharing the importance of recognizing the signs of suicide and how to take action, Thanks so much, Vickie, for educating us. Special thanks to Galloway United Methodist Church for continuing to allow us to use your facility for our meetings. We also thank NAMI Central Mississippi members Jessica James, Dr. John McFadden, Monica Wolters and Latasha Willis for
lending a helping hand. Thanks to our Affiliate Representative Auvergne Williams for trusting us to hand over the reins so he could travel to attend his daughter’s wedding. Congratulations! On October 8, Latasha Willis gave a presentation about NAMI Mississippi at the Annie Thompson Jeffers Library in Bolton. Just prior to this presentation, Latasha was featured in an article that reporter Julie Whitehead has written about her mental health recovery journey for the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. The article was republished in other papers, including the Clarion Ledger. During the presentation, Latasha summarized her history of mental illness, explained NAMI Mississippi’s programs and services, and gave tips on preventing mental health stigma. Special thanks to library branch manager Alfenette Robinson and the Jackson Hinds Library System for allowing Latasha to give the presentation this past fall. (Latasha is also the social media web services coordinator for the Jackson Hinds Library System.) We’re in the process of planning the next affiliate meeting for NAMI Central
Mississippi, which is tentatively slated for Tuesday, March 3 at Galloway United Methodist Church. Be sure to follow NAMI Central Mississippi on Facebook for updates. Also be sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter. You can join our mailing list at bit.ly/ namicmlist. Wishing you a safe and prosperous 2020! - Submitted by: Latasha Willis, NAMI Central Mississippi Affiliate Member
Fron left to right: Debbie Dale and Vickie Winslett.
COURTESY NAMI CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
Congratulations to for successfully completing the process of becoming a nationallyrecognized NAMI Affiliate! The NAMI Coastal MS Affiliate covers Hancock, Harrison, Pearl River, Stone, George and Jackson counties. namims.org/coastalms • coastalms@namims.org • facebook.com/namicoastalms
