Maurice, Iowa — A Sioux County church has given a couple of donations and has partnered with northwest Iowa’s Seasons Center for Behavioral Health to promote mental health awareness.
The Maurice Reformed Church and Seasons Center hosted the WALK for Mental Health Awareness in May in Sioux Center in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, and the event raised over $750. Additionally, Maurice Reformed Church gathered a special offering during the month of May, donating $1,000 to Camp Autumn.
Kim Scorza, CEO/President of Seasons Center says that Pastor Ross Hoekstra got the ball rolling.
Pastor Hoekstra led a series of sermons throughout the month of May centered on mental health. This series included one sermon titled “Depression” which received over 200 views on their website.
The pastor says one of the things that came out of the focus on mental health is that the church will be starting a group for individuals and family members struggling with mental illness. Pastor Hoekstra says mental health is not something that churches often talk about, but he says they wanted to change that.
The proceeds of the WALK for Mental Health Awareness and special offering from Maurice Reformed Church are being used to benefit children in northwest Iowa through scholarships to attend Camp Autumn in O’Brien County during the summer of 2019.
Maurice Reformed Church and Seasons Center have plans to host the WALK for Mental Health Awareness again next May in Sioux Center.
In addition, Seasons Center and Maurice Reformed Church are hosting a Mental Health First Aid training course on Saturday, June 29 from 8 AM – 4:30 PM at the church. It is free training available to help individuals in the community learn how to help someone who is struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, or another mental health crisis. Seating is limited. They say you should pre-register soon by emailing Taylor at tprather@seasonscenter.org. You can also call 1-800-242-5101 for more information.
