Packed House, Emotions Fill Woman to Woman Event

Within minutes of the Woman to Woman Shifting Our Crowns event, powerful emotions were released. “Your soul needs this, loving, praying, and getting closer to God,” said Dr. Darlene Ephriam, one of several compelling speakers whose words embraced many to release tears of their past.

The event, a discussion on the intersection of faith and mental health was organized by BRIDGE, Building Resilience Inclusion Diversity and Growth thru Education, and was held on Saturday, May 20, at Pleasant Union Missionary Baptist Church in Schulenburg in honor of May being Mental Health Awareness.

BRIDGE’s mission is to bridge the racial gap in education, business, government, and community, and its vision to create exposure and equal opportunities for rural areas through education was easily seen at the full-house event.

Throughout the event, several speakers shared their traumas and tribulations which showcased the power of storytelling as emotions were not only heard and seen but also felt.

Speaker and minister Sonya Hosey talked about how faith and mental health comes together by mind, body, and spirit, “It is time we rise up and be the woman God has called for us to be. It’s time to get up from sorrow, depression, and excuses. Do something about it through the resources that are being provided. It’s how we think, feel and act.

“We don’t believe we deserve the healing all because it’s familiar to us. We don’t believe that we can have a career, make or be a change in one’s community… all because of our mindset. So ask yourself? Where have I been for such a long time that you can’t get out of? Never be ashamed of your mental and emotional problems and experiences because there is nothing wrong with sharing your story. It’s also important to have humility to learn. It’s time to be real about how you feel. It’s okay to say today I don’t feel good. Can you help me? Physical, emotional, spiritual, social, financial, environmental, and intellectual all can be affected. Do you want to be made well? Women straighten your crowns so you can be made well.”

Another speaker, Minister Aisha Williams, discussed the impact the church has on mental illness: “When it comes to mental health and the church, so many people have different opinions. Often the church does not want to address mental health because they feel they are not equipped. We are equipped with prayer but choose not to get involved with mental health because it is all over the place but we need to remember the scripture about all things working together for the good. Even though we are in the church, we must be equipped and that’s why I am an ambassador for NAMI, National Alliance for Mental Illness.

“One out of 5 people have a mental illness/experience a mental illness in a year. One out of 20 people will experience a serious mental illness. Depression, anxiety, and OCD are mental illnesses. We want to connect you to the resources. Why do you start this in the church? Because when something happens people always run to the church. We must be prepared and equipped. It’s okay not to be okay but it’s not okay to not receive the help you need.”

The other speakers were Charlesetta Duncan, who will soon start practicing therapy in Schulenburg. She talked about how her journey as a therapist came together with faith. Anna Bunker with NAMI talked about what they do and what services they provide and she also went into detail about how grief plays a role in mental health. Lastly, K. Lafleur-Andres provided a writing workshop that went along with her book Transitions.

Along with the speakers, resources were provided through goodie bags sponsored by Beyond Therapy filled with information on surrounding organizations that provide mental health assistance such as the Red Door Fund and booths from the League of Women and PMC Legal were on hand.

Stickers were also handed out to place on what we thought were important rural community needs to discuss from a range of topics such as More Jobs, Financial Literacy, Homeowner Education, etc. Mental Health Awareness won with the most stickers by a landslide.

Both Mayor Jan Dockery and Mayor Connie Koopmann attended the event and found it very informative, inspirational, and important for our communities now and in the future.

Dockery said, “It was truly something that we can all use and we take for granted the individuals that suffer from mental health. We as a whole could use this information and the resources provided not only in our personal lives but in the lives of most individuals we come in contact with.”

Koopmann added, “I think it went well. I was invited by BRIDGE’S Executive Director Rebecca Powe and she wanted to see that now since I am mayor, if the city could be a partner in any way. I had heard of the group and wanted to see what it was about. Mental health awareness is important because these days a lot of things are swept under the rug. The topics they had on the board for us to rank were all important.”

Powe explained why this event is so vital for our community to have: “This event is important because we as a community can not grow until we choose to heal. We have to start by breaking the stigmas and making everyone, especially those in the black and brown communities aware of the resources that are out there. Mental health affects all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, classes, and creeds. Our goal is to create a mental health series for the entire community.”

Another BRIDGE Executive Director and psychotherapist, LaKeisha Brown-Moore added, ”The event went really well. I’ve spoken to several people, and the speakers truly inspired them. There are many people in the community experiencing grief and depression who are not expressive about their experiences. These events allow them to be in spaces with others who have shared experiences. Also, it gives them vital information to use for themselves or to help others.”

My takeaway from the event was that when you are open and honest with your struggles and mental health issues it becomes less scary. It is not something to be ashamed of and hide from but rather to acknowledge and understand. I myself suffer from depression and this event opened my eyes to how many of us hold onto such similar fears and yet we are all so afraid to share our truths and be seen. So ask yourself what are you doing to protect your mental health?

If you’d like to donate, be a sponsor, or learn more about BRIDGE and their upcoming events, visit bridgerural.org.