NAMI Havre slates events in Mental Health Awareness Month

Press release

In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, NAMI Havre, the local organization of National Alliance on Mental Illness, is holding several events to inform people about NAMI and to try to stomp out stigma.

NAMI Havre is a nonprofit organizations under the umbrella of NAMI Montana. It has operated in Havre about 13 years and continues to try to help people understand illnesses that their family members or friends are dealing with.

NAMI Havre has a class called “Family to Family” that last 12 weeks, 2.5 hours a session. In the class the group talks about all illnesses.

It also has a new class called “Family and Friends” that is a four-hour seminar.

NAMI Havre members are trained to teach educational classes, and two more are coming soon to Havre, “Family Support” and “In Our Own Voice.”

NAMI Havre meets once a month, on the second Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at 921 Third St. The public is more than welcome to come to the meetings and see what the group is doing.

At the meetings, the members plan what they can do to help people understand more about mental illnesses.

The members of NAMI Havre are President Crystal Laufer, Vice President Cindy Fitzpatrick, Treasurer Barb Evans, Secretary Pamela Evans and Community Jason Evans. All are people who deal with some form of mental illness in their family.

“We are doing some things to let people come join and learn about NAMI Havre,” Laufer said.

Those include:

• May 5-6, Tupperware party at the Atrium, 5-7 p.m.

• May 12, Information table at Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods

• May 19, Havre-Hill County Library, NAMI Havre will talk about what it is and does and what classes are available in Havre, 2-5 p.m.

• May 26-27 Coffee Party with coffee by Java Mama at the Atrium, 5-7 p.m.

NAMI Havre will be accepting donations for NAMI Montana.