Madison May Event Celebrates Mental Health Awareness

MADISON, NJ - Yellow is about to be in full bloom as Madison kicks-off Mental Health Awareness Month.

Event are scheduled from May 4-11 as hundreds of community members, businesses and organizations will turn YELLOW to brighten the community and ‘Shine a light on Mental Health.’

Mayor Robert Conley will get things started Saturday between 9:45-10:15 a.m. on the front lawn of the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building with a ceremony that will consist of a few opening remarks by the co-founder of UMEWE.org and community lead for Madison INTOyellow, Whitny Sobala, followed by the ceremonial "planting" of 100 hand-painted flowers.

“As a stigma-free town, Madison is dedicated to raising awareness of the local mental health and recovery resources available so that no resident needs to feel hopeless or alone. Madison INTOyellow is a great example of how we are putting our commitment into action and creating an environment where affected community members and those seeking to remain healthy feel supported in their efforts to achieve wellness," Conley said. "Madison has so many great resources and it’s exciting to see the entire town come together to celebrate such a great cause.”

According to organizers, the flowers are part of a town-wide, multi-generational, interfaith, collaborative public art project with artist, social activist and Optimist, G. Riley Johndonnell, called "Pollination." One hundred community members, spearheaded by the Madison High School National Art Honors Society students, have created a community garden of hand-painted flowers; on the back, are their ideas for how to brighten Madison.

“Madison, like so many other towns, has been impacted greatly by mental health-related issues. It is programs like Madison INTOyellow that help us unite as a community – from teachers and students to senior citizens and religious organizations – to shed light on the stigma of mental health and celebrate the resources we have to combat it," said Madison High School Principal Greg Robertson. "I am proud of our students for stepping up and helping to become a part of the solution.”

These flowers are being shared with the Mayor's office as they "pollinate" the front lawn of the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building. The garden will remain through May 11, the final day of the week-long celebration.

Three generations of the same family each participated to show support for the cause, in addition to Girl Scout Troop 6585, senior citizens and members of St. Vincent Martyr Church, Madison-based Chabad of SE Morris County, members of the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps and members of the Presbyterian Church of Madison.

Free to the public will be Yellow Collaborative Public Art, Mindful Movement Classes, Speakers Series, People's Picnic, Discounts and more, hosted at Madison's Civic Center, Short Stories Bookshop & Community Hub, The Presbyterian Church of Madison, and other locations around town. The complete event calendar can be found here.

Starting at noon Tuesday, May 7 Short Stories Bookshop & Community Hub will host an “Optimism in Action” speaker series featuring an array of speakers addressing topics such as Demystifying Mental Health, Brain Training and Increasing Optimism. These speaker events will also be taking place again every weekday evening from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall at the Presbyterian Church of Madison. There will also be a special edition speaker at the Civic Center Monday, May 6 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. for the senior citizen community. All events are free and open to the public.

On Monday, May 6 through Friday, May 10 at 9 a.m. outside on the front lawn and again indoors at 7:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall at the Presbyterian Church of Madison, 19 Green Ave., there will be free daily ‘mindful movement’ classes. Each day will feature a different form of mindful movement, including yoga, meditation and tai chi, each hosted by different local instructors.

“Collaboration, with the shared intention of creating a brighter world, is at the core of all that UMEWE does, and the town of Madison has been an incredible partner in piloting this great initiative," Sobala said. "The passion and collaborative spirit of this town is infectious and I’m hopeful that our joint efforts will help brighten the lives of community members here in Madison and beyond.”

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