NH Mental Health Powerhouses Announced as NAMIWalks NH Honorary Co-Chairs

One in 5 Americans lives with a mental health condition. In New Hampshire, 254,000 adults and 55,000 children are affected by mental illness each year. Peggy Straw and Don Shumway have worked tirelessly for decades to improve the quality of life for all by ensuring support, education and advocacy for people affected by mental illness. In recognition of their efforts, NAMI New Hampshire is thrilled to announce these mental health powerhouses as honorary co-chairs of the 14th Annual NAMIWalks NH event on Sunday, October 2, 2016.

After the death of her husband in 1972, Peggy Straw’s daughter began experiencing a mental illness. In an effort to find support and learn about the nature of her daughter’s disease, Peggy joined the NH Association for Mental Health. In 1976, she wrote to every state to find out if there were any support groups for families of loved ones with mental illness. Of the 39 states that responded to her inquiry, none knew of any support groups.

Peggy decided to start her own support group in 1978 with a few other interested families. Two years later, she travelled to Chicago to attend the first organizational meeting of the newly formed National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (later renamed National Alliance on Mental Illness), representing New Hampshire.

A seed was planted, and families affected by mental illness joined together to form affiliates throughout New Hampshire. Slowly, support groups were organized by affiliates with a goal of advocating for better community based services for their loved ones. In the fall of 1982, NAMI NH legally incorporated in the state of NH as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. With dedication, persistence and hard work, NAMI NH has grown substantially from its humble beginnings, as have the many affiliates throughout the state.

Don Shumway recently retired as president and CEO of Crotched Mountain Foundation. Prior to joining Crotched Mountain in 2002, he served as commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services for the State of New Hampshire. Don also served as director of the Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services. Under Don’s leadership, NH built a state of the art psychiatric facility and contracted with Dartmouth Medical School to provide psychiatrists. But more importantly, his vision and determination for community based services resulted in NH being rated as having the best mental health system in the country during the early 1990s . Throughout his career, Don has voluntarily served in leadership positions with numerous national, state and local organizations. Most recently, he served on the boards of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, Antioch University New England and Riverbend Community Mental Health. Don is also an adjunct professor with the Department of Psychiatry at Dartmouth School of Medicine.

“Peggy founded NAMI NH at her kitchen table in 1978 in an effort to help six hurting families”, said Ken Norton, NAMI NH’s Executive Director. “The direct result of Peggy’s passion and vision, over the past three decades NAMI NH has helped tens of thousands of NH families living with mental illness. Don’s support of those early efforts and his deep and abiding dedication to improving lives has profoundly impacted so many in our state. We are grateful for Peggy and Don’s ongoing commitment to all Granite Staters affected by mental illness. They inspire us and give us hope.

“The commitment which Peggy Straw and Don Shumway have shown over the past three decades to improve the lives of people with mental illness is unequaled in our state. They have long inspired me and many others who stand on their shoulders in an effort to provide services and supports that promote recovery. It is fitting that they will serve as co-chairs for this year’s ‘Take a Swing at Stigma’ NAMIWalks NH.”

The success of last year’s NAMIWalks NH event meant NAMI NH was able to help more than 15,000 NH children, adults and their families affected by mental illness. On October 2, 2016, for the 14th consecutive year, hundreds and hundreds of walkers will lace up sneakers and do their part to support neighbors, coworkers, family, friends, and themselves.

The 14th Annual NAMIWalks NH will raise both awareness and much-needed funds. Each day, NAMI New Hampshire, a grassroots organization, works to improve the quality of life for all by providing support, education and advocacy for people affected by mental illness.

Free registration for NAMIWalks NH is now open at www.namiwalks.org/newhampshire. Learn more by visiting www.naminh.org, calling NAMI NH at 1-800-242-6264, or emailing walks@naminh.org.

(Don Shumway Photo Credit: JODIE ANDRUSKEVICH)