This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Aliat Team participated in the 15th Annual NAMIWalks Northwest at Portland’s Waterfront Loop. Portland’s NAMIWalk was one of eighty happening throughout the country. Designed to be fun 5k events that bring together people of all ages and fitness levels, NAMIWalks raise awareness and funds for National Alliance on Mental Illness organizations both big and small. Last year, they collectively raised nearly 11 million dollars and in 2017, they’re on pace to raise even more. Interested in donating? There’s still time to help them reach their goal by July 16th—for which they’re still just short. For more information, please click here.

Why did we at Aliat #JoinTheMovement? NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They’re made up of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to provide education and support for those who need it most.

“Mental Health is such an important factor in life,” says Julie Dent, our Director or Sales Operations. “As a child, I never thought, ‘when I grow up, I want to deal with anxiety and depression.’ As we transition into adulthood, we strive to become what is expected of us. The induced pressure can be intimidating, draining and just plain exhausting!”

It’s a given: We all experience emotional ups and downs from time to time, reactions to the events around us. Mental health conditions go beyond that and become something much longer lasting. They are unquestionably medical conditions that cause changes in how we think and feel and in our mood.

Like NAMI, we believe that mental health matters and that no one should be ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help. They are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. Yet, despite knowing this, most mental illnesses come with an unfortunate stigma. Navigating life with such conditions are already hard enough without feeling shame or judgment from someone else. People experiencing mental health conditions often face rejection, bullying and discrimination, prolonging an already difficult journey. At Aliat, we wanted to do our part in stopping that stigma and donating to what we believe is a worthy cause.

Thanks again to NAMI for a wonderful day and to all those who participated in this event. Hope to see you again next year.

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