Scarecrows & Mental Health in Acton

Stand Up to Stigma and enter the Scarecrow Making Contest to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Central Middlesex. NAMI is a national, state, and local non-profit organization that supports, educates, and advocates on behalf of families coping with mental illness. To secure your friendly scarecrow’s spot along the fence, bring your $25 NAMI Central Middlesex donation to Cucurbit Farm at 32 Parker St. in Acton, and pick up your scarecrow starter kit/frame. Individuals, organizations, and businesses are invited to participate, and each scarecrow will wear a sign with the name of the donor willing to “Stand Up to Stigma.” The scarecrows will be on display for the entire month of October.

The Stand Up to Stigma event includes three days of farm fun family activities at the farm stand during Columbus Day weekend, October 8-10. Kids can touch a tractor, teens can try out the farmer selfie station, and you can pick your own pumpkin and try some fresh kettle corn. Check out cucurbitfarm.com. The Acton Garden Club will judge the contest that weekend, and representatives from NAMI Central Middlesex will be on hand to provide information and direction on mental health issues.

NAMI offers support groups, educational courses, and information on navigating the mental health system at no charge to participants. In Acton, there are two ongoing drop in support groups, one for individuals living with mental illness and a separate group for family and friends of people living with mental illness. Details about programs in Acton/Boxborough and other communities are available at namicentralmiddlesex.org and namimass.org.