Mental health is a growing topic of conversation in our world today. Especially among teens, mental health is something not to be ignored. Ja’dore Wells knows this well and decided to base her whole club on it!
Ja’dore, along with her friend Tahlia Moody, first were doing a Hosa related mental health project. But, they saw how much mental health awareness was needed around WB and decided to make a club out of it. “When you’re younger, your mental health is often ignored or just dismissed because it’s not seen as serious as it could be. it just ends up developing worse and worse over time. Besides UMatter week there isn’t much support from the school and we wanted to do something about it. We wanted to start Minds Matter to provide a community, advice, and to educate people more on mental health.” Said Ja’dore.
Minds Matter doesn’t just want to raise awareness on mental health though, they also want to make a tangible difference in our community. “In future, we’re aiming towards making blankets and donating them to mental health facilities. Preferably ones close to us and in our community. We also want to make gratitude jars and to fundraise through bake sales or stress ball fundraisers.” Ja’dore added.
New member of Minds Matter, Gurleen Kaler said, “I feel like Minds Matter is something special because we’ve never had anything like this at our school before. I’m really excited for the future of Minds Matter and can’t wait for fundraisers so we can really make a difference.”
If someone is interested in this club and wants to dive deeper than just being a member, board positions are most likely going to be a thing in the future. But, they need to have genuine enthusiasm. “We do want to do a board because a strong club has a strong board and we want people to actively participate in the club. But the board positions need to be based on interest. You will not get on board if you are just looking for another board to be on. You have to enjoy the subject and have an interest in mental health. We are going to be very considerate and careful on who we pick.” Ja’dore affirmed.
Minds Matter is about more than just pretending to care about mental health or just joining to add another board position to someone’s resume. Ja’dore said the main message is, “I know this is cliche- but you’re not alone. You do have a community, you don’t have to isolate yourself, and your feelings are valid.” At school, it can feel like you are alone in your struggles. It feels like no one understands what you go through, but that’s just not true.
Minds Matter gives WB students the support to realize they aren’t alone in their struggle and that there is a community around them always ready to help. Their next meeting is on January 23rd in Mr. Reed’s room, room 301. Stop by, learn something new, and know that your community is truly there to support you.
