Orange City, Iowa — May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And one northwest Iowa organization is suggesting a unique activity to try to normalize mental illness as being just like physical illness — anyone can get it, and it’s OK.
“Healthy Sioux County,” a coalition of community health organizations and community resource providers, is encouraging schools, libraries, businesses, faith-based organizations, and community members to get out during the month of May and “CHALK the WALK.”
That means grabbing your family, your friends, your neighbors, or your co-workers and getting outside and drawing chalk messages or pictures on your sidewalk that encourage, uplift, and spread joy.
We talked to one of the coordinators of CHALK the WALK, Teri Bos.
She says they’d like all ages to participate and “spread joy throughout the county.”
Healthy Sioux County wants people to know that It’s OK to have a mental illness – many people do. It’s OK to talk about mental illness – talking makes people feel less alone. And it’s OK to get help with mental illness – life can get better.
If you need chalk, organizers tell us you can stop at your local library for a pack. Every Sioux County library has a limited supply of sidewalk chalk that community members can pick up to chalk their walk.
Bos gives us some suggestions.
Once you’ve chalked your walk, they are encouraging you to share your CHALK the WALK drawings on social media. When you do, they recommend tagging Community Health Partners or Promise Community Health Center using the hashtag #chalkthewalkSC.
Organizers say that together, we can reduce the stigma of mental illness, encourage conversations, normalize seeking help, and spread joy and encouragement in Sioux County.
For more information about what you can do to reduce the stigma and increase understanding about mental illness, visit the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative’s “Make it Okay” website www.makeitok.org/iowa.
And they say that if you or someone you know is struggling help is available: you are never alone.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). They also have a text shortcode. Just text 741741 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
