President’s Message for December 2024
Diwali and NAMI’s Ending the Silence
A few of our board members were invited to attend the exciting Diwali celebration at the Shishu Bharati School of Languages and Culture in Lexington. Shishu Bharati students in grades K-8 attend Sunday courses to learn about South Asian Indian culture, including rich traditions, art, history, and language. The school serves over 850 students at their locations in Lexington, Nashua, and Walpole.
We are in conversation with them about offering mental health awareness awareness programming. School representatives are in the process of scheduling a NAMI Ending the Silence for Students presentation for their eighth graders and the older students who volunteer with the school. This month’s newsletter includes an article about the goals and approach of the Ending the Silence program. NAMI Massachusetts is currently scheduling these speaker events for the 2025 spring school term.
Annual Meeting & Affiliate Board Nominations
Our affiliate’s Annual Meeting will take place IN PERSON on the evening of Monday, January 27th at the Edinburg Center in Bedford. We will have some social time, review the 2024 activities of our affiliate, and vote to elect a slate of officers for our board. Speakers from DBT Works in Concord will shed light on the growing comprehensive treatment approach of DBT or Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Here is the nominated slate of officers with those new to the board identified with an asterisk:
President: Lori Krinsky
Vice President: Dawn Bentley
Treasurer: Sara Dodd*
Assistant Treasurer: Jennie Payne
Secretary: Hale Powell*
Support & Education Coordinator: Ivy Pompei
Community Outreach Coordinator: Judy McKendry
NAMIWalks Coordinator: Tom Scurfield
NAMIWalks Assistant Coordinator: Open
Advocacy Coordinator: Open
Membership Coordinator: Jennie Payne
Board Member at Large: Dee Febba
Thanks to all for their commitment to helping others through their mental health journeys. Those with up to date affiliate memberships are welcome to cast their vote for/against the slate of candidates in person at the meeting or via email, nami.cmsx@gmail.com.
All our board members wish you a warm and wonderful December.