Walking for Wellness and Recovery on October 5 – Patch.com
The Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ) and its partner, Monarch Housing Associates, invite community organizations, neighbors and friends to participate in their 12th Annual Walk for Wellness and Recovery on Saturday, October 5, 2019. The Walk will take place in beautiful Nomahegan Park on Springfield Avenue in Cranford. Registration for the event is $25 online and $30 on the day of the event. Last year’s Walk drew participation from 300 walkers. To register for the Walk, please visit mhanj.org.
The schedule for the morning of the Walk is as follows:
- 8:30 a.m. – Registration Opens
- 9:45 a.m. – Opening Ceremony
- 10:00 a.m. – Walk Begins
There will be many NEW as well as traditional favorite activities at this year’s Walk. These activities include pumpkin painting for the first 50 children (with adult) to arrive at the event, DJ, temporary tattoos, games, prizes, warm-up stretches and exercises, yoga, healthy recipe demonstration, community resource and wellness tables, complimentary refreshments and snacks before and after the Walk and community resource information. The walk is a family and dog friendly event.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The MHANJ is grateful to the sponsors of the 12th Annual Walk for Wellness and Recovery who make the event possible: Platinum Level Sponsor — Merck; Gold Level Sponsors — Alkermes, Ammon Labs, Delta Dental and Investors Bank; and Silver Level Sponsors include High Focus Centers, Janssen, Otsuka and RWJBarnabas Health, Sprout Health Group, Summit Oaks Hospital, and VistaGen Therapeutics.
“Our Walk calls attention to the importance of emotional wellness and coping with substance use disorders as well as fighting the stigma related to these issues. People who face behavioral health challenges often have difficulties establishing the stability of permanent housing,” said Carolyn Beauchamp, President and CEO, Mental Health Association in New Jersey. “An important component of the MHANJ’s advocacy initiatives and program goals is to help assure that people have fair and adequate access to appropriate shelter, which, in turn, contributes to mental health and stability. With a close connection between behavioral health and housing, Monarch Housing is a natural partner.”
Monarch Housing Associates is proud to once again partner with MHANJ in the Walk. “Monarch’s work with communities across New Jersey to develop strategies to address and end homelessness includes our understanding that mental health issues and substance use disorders are often the most common disabilities reported by individuals experiencing homelessness,” said Taiisa Kelly, CEO, Monarch Housing Associates. “For most of the affordable housing developments that Monarch works on, including those developments for those with special needs, the demand ranges as high as 5 to 10 people applying for every available unit. Raising awareness around the need for wellness and recovery is critical in the work to end homelessness and create new opportunities for housing for all.”
Individuals in recovery often remind us that wellness is possible. Michelle Price from Ocean County, now the Assistant Director of Recovery Services for MHANJ in Ocean County, has made great strides in her own recovery. “You name it, addiction took it from me. The moment I knew I needed to get clean was in 2013, I found out I was pregnant. The Mental Health Association in New Jersey gave me the peer support I needed and pushed me on my journey toward recovery,” she says.
The Walk makes a difference. Every year, the Walk for Wellness and Recovery brings together those who care about helping New Jerseyans cope with emotional health and substance use issues.
About the Mental Health Association in New Jersey
The Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ) strives for children and adults to achieve victory over mental health and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. The MHANJ breaks down barriers that prevent people from seeking or offering help and support and builds a strong base of support and network of services for people coping with behavioral health issues and their family members. It is a consistent force in advocacy and services across New Jersey.
MHANJ’s state headquarters is in Union County with additional offices in Atlantic, Hudson, Ocean and Union Counties and affiliates in Essex, Monmouth, Morris, and Passaic Counties and Southwestern New Jersey. For more information about MHANJ, visit http://www.mhanj.org/, call 973-571-4100 or find the MHANJ on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Monarch Housing Associates
Monarch Housing Associates works to expand the supply, accessibility and variety of affordable, permanent supportive housing through development, planning, partnerships, and public policy. Monarch’s Housing Development team has 29 years of experience working with clients to develop affordable and mixed-income rental housing for seniors, families and persons with special needs.
Monarch’s Ending Homelessness Team works with communities across the state of New Jersey to develop strategies to address and end homelessness within their region. The Team coordinates NJCounts, the annual point-in-time count of the homeless and assists communities in understanding the population experiencing homelessness through the coordination of the annual count.
Fighting stigma and raising awareness around mental illness and substance use disorders is linked to Monarch’s work to create homes for the homeless and homelessness. NJCounts 2018 found a total of 8,864 persons experiencing homelessness in New Jersey. Fifty-one percent (51%) of the total homeless persons counted reported a disability. Among homeless adults over the age of 18, Sixty-one point two (61.2) % reported a disability. The most prevalent disabilities reported were mental health issue (2,672 persons) and substance abuse disorder (2,111 persons.) For more information about Monarch, visit www.monarchhousing.org or find Monarch Associates on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information about Monarch, visit http://www.monarchhousing.org/or find @monarchhousing on Facebook and Twitter.