day 144 : lets talk about mental illness! {and of course, a way you can help}

hi everybody! 

thanks to those of you who asked for my great-uncles address to send him a card ; he will be *thrilled!*

if you are interested in sending him a card, let me know! 

today, i want to talk about mental illness ; specifically obsessive compulsive disorder.

for a few years, i worked in the autism community & was so inspired by the idea that my coworkers and myself were actually making a difference in the lives of families.

{i am still friends with a few of the families that i use to do therapy for & its incredible to see some of the changes that have happened because of behavioral therapy!}

my friend sarah {she took our family photos last fall!} started a GiveForward campaign for her partner greg, who is living with OCD. you can read all about his days, his struggles & the hope for treatment here.

greg has recently been accepted into a 12-week OCD treatment facility, but needs $7,900 {the goal is $10,000} before he can begin. 

the fundraiser ends at the end of this month & they have already raised $2,650!

i do not know greg personally, but i am a strong believer that when we are well, we are all stronger & better together.

the campaign is just for ONE person ; but think about the impact! greg leaves treatment and can live & love without worry. he will have the opportunity to help create change around others living with OCD. his family and friends are inspired and thankful ; so they become {even stronger} advocates for mental illness ; and so on and so on.

if 150 of you decide to give $5, that is $750! if ten of you give $10, thats $100!

my main goal of the 'minnesota nice' movement is to show that you dont need to donate millions of dollars to create change. small ripples of kindness make all the difference. random people coming together to lift up another human ; that is SO powerful.

finally, if you chose not to give money to this campaign, make today a day to support ANY organization that is important to you. {education, animal rescue, planting trees, supporting a local school, ect}

all photos taken by sarah certa