Our 2010 NAMI Northwest Walk is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 23, 2010. Want to get involved? Contact walk manager Michelle Madison at (503) 230-8009 or michelle_namior@qwestoffice.net.

The walk was a wonderful success – with so many more walkers than last year and more funds raised than would be expected in a down economy, it’s time to say a big thank you to our sponsors who donated time and money to help us!

Presenting Sponsor
Providence Health & Services

Kick-off Luncheon Sponsors
Kaiser Permanente
PayLess Long Term Care Pharmacy
Washinton County, Oregon

Silver Sponsors
Adventist Health
Family Care Health Plans
Multnomah County, Oregon

Awards Reception Sponsor
Bristol-Meyers Squibb

Bronze Sponsor
Clackamas County, Oregon
Columbia Community Mental Health
ColumbiaCare Services, Inc.
DoubleTree Hotel Portland
Lilly
Janssen
Legacy Health Systems
LifeWorks NW
Oregon Psychiatric Association
Stephen Houser & Buff Jones

Supporter
Ater Wynne LLP
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
Kukuva Marimba
MBank
Pacific Continental Bank
PDX Audio
Peggy and Carl Hammond
Pheromone Advertising
Skip and Linda Klarquist
Sunshine Dairy Foods
Telecare Corp.
Wise Council and Comfort

Kilometer Sponsor
Bouneff & Chally Attorneys at Law
Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
Central City Concern
ChristieCare
Fidelity National Title Company of Oregon
Kathleen Ris
OnPoint Community Credit Union
Peggy Kennedy, Author, Approaching Neverland
SEIU Local 503, OPEU
Wayne Whitbeck

Without these sponsors, the event would not have been nearly as successful.

THANK YOU!

Greetings NAMI supporters!

Thank you all SO MUCH for a fabulous event – we had 1,602 people come join us Sunday to help stomp out the stigma and send the message to the community that mental health care is important! Whether you raised money, volunteered the day of the event or ahead of time (or both!), led a team, or walked, your contribution to our mission truly made a difference!

As someone who lives with a mental illness, I was really inspired by the turnout of support – you all made me proud!

We are still counting money – we’ll have a preliminary total this week – and we will be accepting donations through July 17. Now’s a great time to remind people who haven’t yet sponsored you, or have promised a donation, that they can still contribute. They can donate through your online page or send checks to our NAMI Oregon office at 3550 SE Woodward Street, Portland, OR, 97202.

Now go congratulate yourselves for a job well done!

- Michelle Madison, Walk Manager

It’s mere hours from walk time on Sunday.  All of our ducks are in a row. We have fantastic staff and wonderful volunteers ready to take on the walk route. Along with the stigma that we all face for our friends, our loved ones and ourselves, we have the power to make immense change in the world.

We all have stories. We all have lives that have been touched by the chaos that is mental illness. We all see the success stories of other walks and other organizations gaining momentum, helping those in need.

But this is different.

Cancer patients are not treated as criminals. Sufferers of ALS, Muscular Distrophy and even AIDS are not denied care because their maladies are not believed. Nobody tells someone undergoing chemotherapy to “shake it off – just get over it.” Mental illness is unique in its total ability to ruin someone’s world.

Be that change.  One, singular action – walking on Sunday, donating to support NAMI, or volunteering to help – can change the world for someone.

Come to the walk on Sunday.  Sign up by going to http://www.nami.org/namiwalks/OR and spread the word. And after the walk, continue your support of NAMI and the people we help. There is no more important job for us than to stomp out the stigma suffered by those with mental illness, and to, some day, have the perfect solution for those who suffer. Just like everyone else, we’re just wishing for a cure.

Rachel Chereck Petzold
NAMI Oregon Board Member
Nami Walk Volunteer Coordinator & Walker on Wards Walkers

I was diagnosed with bipolar in the summer of 2005. I was hospitalized eight times within a year and half. Prior to being diagnosed I was a noble and law abiding citizen. I was known for my outgoing personality, kindness, and consideration for others. This all changed when I became manic. Paranoia and delusions consumed me. I became so paranoid that I thought my husband was out to kill me for life insurance money. This caused me to hitchhike across the country and ultimately becoming homeless.

While I was homeless I was driven to destruction. I crossed the law, experimented with drugs and had many boyfriends. Luckily, I was found at a 7-11 in a delusional state. I was screaming at people that were no where to be seen. The police arrested me and instead of jail they took me straight to a mental institution. This is where I got my second chance at life. I was stabilized on medication and sent home for recovery.

Today I lead a very fulfilling life. I have a very loving and nurturing relationship with my husband, I work part time, I’m going to school and I’m writing a memoir. I truly believe that if it wasn’t for the mental health system that rescued me that at best I would still be that crazy woman wandering the streets that everybody hurries to pass by.

-Mechelle Stone

I stand to walk.
I walk to stand.
Awareness and wellness
walk hand in hand.

-Rachel Gill

I am diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder and Agoraphobia with Panic Disorder. I am also a full-time college student half way to an associate of arts degree. I have a supportive partner, family, therapeutic and learning environments that each help me draw the strength and courage I need to gain health. The present system of care prevented me from receiving such for three years. I felt like an account to whom which no one was accountable. Authorization denied.

I walk to take action toward change. I walk to stand against subsidizing life.

The state licensing board sent back the evidence of my complaint, said it was not within their jurisdiction.

This is after appealing to every advocacy group and relevant government official in county and state. I escaped the clutches of managed care by way of an uncommonly referenced statute that exempts members of federally recognized tribes from being required to enroll in a managed care plan. I reference the statute and provided proof of my tribal heritage when I first submitted my application. It took between fifty and seventy-five people in charge before finding one who was willing to take the time to verify my request and release me from managed care. This solved my problem. Meanwhile, the health administrator still holds a county position that is both in breach of state contract and law.

I walk because I do not want to stand alone. Life is not a commodity. I walk because I know that a community is only as healthy as its individuals. I walk in sickness and in health. I walk for the wellness of my whole community.

Problems do not die, people are. Abuse is often disguised as protection. I walk to unmask the truth. I walk to take a stand for my health and yours.

Colleges are required, by law, to provide Disability Accommodations for students with documented psychological disorders, and yet, I have not met one instructor who has provided them before me.

It is challenging, at times, to know how to structure learning for someone with complicated, emotional problems. Borderline Personality Disorder is difficult to deal with for the person who has it, but no less for those around them. The slightest disagreement can trigger an emotional crisis. I am grateful for the patience I have been shown in school, my therapists and from the few who are close to me.

Disability accommodations and Managed Care are only two of many examples that demonstrate how lack of awareness may lead to neglect and abuse. I cannot help but wonder how many people do not seek help because they either feel embarrassed, ashamed, rejected, mistreated or simply do not know where to turn.

I have worked very hard to make what progress I do. It is a lifelong walk to wellness, the only path to life for us all. Ignorance considers mental illness a mark of disgrace. It is a disgrace to cast judgment upon sickness. I stand to walk. I walk to stand. Awareness and wellness walk hand in hand.

I walk to stomp out stigma.

-Rachel Gill
Team Captain, Stigma Stompers

MAY is Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
To learn more about BPD, visit www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com

With such a short amount of time to the walk, we want to share some of the best quotes from our supporters, those people who were kind enough to tell us “Why I walk”.

On May 17th, we walk to give our thanks to NAMI for the support they have given us. We walk to help others have a brighter future. We walk because we care. -Sydney Lizundia

In a grateful tribute to her (my daughter’s) courage, I walk. It is the least, but not the only thing, I can do. -Linda Dunn

Like many other people living with mental illness, (my friend) Ward was treated as a throwaway person. I’m walking because this needs to change, and to make the statement that people like myself who are living with mental illness are members of the community, like everyone else; that we are not and should not be stigmatized and that we deserve equal access to healthcare and recovery. -Michelle Madison

I walk because I know I am moving in the right direction and because I know that others deserve the same opportunity to reach their dreams.  I walk because I believe that every person, given the proper support and care, has the ability to thrive. -Jillian Glazer

(My daughter) Tessa is my inspiration.  I am thankful she is still alive, because for a while I was not sure she would make it to her thirtieth birthday this year. Her illness has prompted me to become involved and tell our story. - Michele Veenker

Last fall, my son Tony would have turned 36 years old. To honor his memory and to support others that suffer diseases similar to what he had, my wife and I again this year walk on “His” team and work to raise funds to support NAMI-CC (Clackamas County Oregon). -Mark Anderson

I want to help in a small way, to endorse, support, and grow with my peers at NAMI. I also walk raise funds for our In Our Own Voice and Peer to Peer programs, where I mentor and give presentations. And the exercises and walk are helpful in just everyday life. I hope this is the start of an energetic adventure I can do yearly. – George Hagerman

It is a dream of mine to be able to give back what has been given to me and enrich my life in the process.  This is why I walk for NAMI.  I now know that I have a voice, focus on the gifts that my disability offers and share my experience to give hope to others and pursue my dreams without ever giving up.  This year I am walking in honor of my mom, children, grandchildren, and the rest of my wonderful family, as well as friends who have never given up on me. – Susan Greenawald

I walk for this sweet wonderful woman who showed me what mental illness can feel like. - Susan Ayres

I have spent most of my life watching a family member suffer from mental health issues. Now that I have a daughter with severe anxiety, I celebrate her successes and share her pain at the struggles she faces. I walk so she knows I’ve got her back and so others like me - with a loved one who suffers - and people like her – who win and lose battles every day - know they aren’t alone. -Rachel Petzold

I walk with NAMI so that others may find help without the terror I felt. I walk so that others don’t have to fight as many fights. I walk to make this country a better place for those of us with a mental illness. -Curtis

Hello NAMI supporters!

With just 9 days left until the walk, now is the time to make that final fundraising push. When asking friends, family, coworkers, and others, here’s a snapshot of what their contribution can do to help and give hope:

- $25 will cover our costs to pay for a free education class for one person with mental illness, or their loved one;

- $30 will pay the stipend for a consumer to make an In Our Own Voice presentation, which educates consumers and supporters about recovery;

- $50 will cover the cost to train a volunteer to teach an education class, which participants have described as “life-changing” and “life-saving.”

- $250 will cover the cost of a class of 10 people taking a Family To Family class, which provides support and affirmation for people whose loved ones are living with a major mental illness.

Thanks for all that you are doing for NAMI!

- Michelle Madison, Walk Manager

With only 12 days left before our walk, there are a number of things you can be doing to help us gain momentum and get people to participate!

Send a “chain letter” to your entire address book. Ask everyone to forward your email to everyone in their address book. Ask for a $10 donation (that’s approximately 3 starbucks drinks) or for people to walk with us on walk day. Tell your story. Make a difference!

Talk to the parents of your children’s friends, the people in line at the post office – even your postal carrier!

On Mother’s Day, ask family and friends that are gathering together if they know anyone who suffers from a mental illness Talk about your reason for walking. Be sure to tell the person you are walking for if you haven’t already!

There is no end to the creative ways you can get people involved. Do you have an interesting way you’ve asked for support? We want to hear it! Send it today!

My husband of 47 years has had bipolar disorder since he was a teenager. Despite battling this disabling brain disorder for over a half century, Paul has accomplished many things, but he has also had times when he has been very  ill and never more so than from 2002 to 2007.  His doctors termed it treatment resistant depression and his prospects for recovery were very slim.

In May of 2007, the NAMI Washington County newsletter published a summary on the latest research from the National Institute of Mental Health on bipolar depression. This information ultimately led to Paul’s doctor charting a new path of treatment and medications for Paul. Within 3 days of new medications, Paul was out of bed and began his upward journey to recovery.

Today, two years later, Paul volunteers for two libraries and for NAMI, and has become a member of a NAMI Outreach Team that speaks to patients in the behavioral (mental health) ward at St. Vincent Hospital. When Paul tells his riveting story, there is not a sound or a dry-eye in the audience. Afterwards, patients come up to shake his hand and thank him for his inspiration. For you see, Paul has been where they are and he is proof positive that you can recover and become a contributing member of society again. We call it the Journey of Hope.

On May 17th, we walk to give our thanks to NAMI for the support they have given us. We walk to help others have a brighter future. We walk because we care. -Sydney Lizundia