Although COVID-19 has halted many activities that the clubs at HMHS had planned, the Our Minds Matter club has continued to try and bring awareness for mental health to the students at the high school. Although it has been difficult, they have continued to put in time and effort to make the most of the situation. Here are the activities that they have been able to do this year, despite the many challenges that the virus has created….

Starting in September (Suicide Awareness Month), they began by holding a fundraiser to raise money for the Josh Anderson Foundation, which works towards preventing suicide and mental health resources to various school communities. Plus, at their September meeting, they were able to have an HMHS teacher with a personal connection to the cause come and speak for the students who attended, truly allowing them to see how real suicide is.

In November, they held a virtual yoga event for anyone who wanted a way to relax and recharge, or just have fun. The club hired a professional yoga teacher to help out with the class. It was amazing to see people getting up so early in the morning (the event was streamed before school)!

For the holidays, OMM wanted to reach out to a living facility for the elders, those who might have been feeling more lonely than others because of the virus, and the club thought it would be nice to make holiday cards for those at Tarditi Commons, right in Haddonfield. They were able to get the club members (and their families involved) to make the season a little bit brighter for those in need of some holiday spirit.

A month later, when MLK Day rolled around, the success of the holiday cards inspired the club to make more. This time, however, they decided to make cards, full of inspirational quotes and positive messages, for both High Focus and Hampton Behavioral Health clinics. Here, adolescents in need of extra mental health assistance are treated, so the club wanted to reach out to kids their own age on this day of service. Many students from outside the club participated in the activity, and service hours were offered for those who needed them.

February marked National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The club had professional speakers from Renfrew Center Eating Disorder Treatment Facility discuss eating disorder myths and facts and even involved the attendees in a fun mindfulness activity. The club also spoke up on social media about eating disorders for different groups of people (LGBTQ+ community, the Black community, etc), and provided the student body with different resources and conferences they could attend if they were interested in the subject matter.

In March, they participated, again, in an initiative for suicide awareness, this time expanding their outreach. The group, and other HMHS students helped to make yellow ribbons at Berkshire and Hathaway in Haddonfield, where they partnered with Ms. Abigail Rogers, for this project, while others made the bows at home. Haddonfield families were able to donate to the charity, and they received ribbons to display on their front porches in support of the cause. To help fundraise, OMM also held a bake sale at the high school to raise more money for suicide awareness and the charity associated with the ribbons. They were able to raise $112.50!

After a majority of the virus restrictions have been lifted, the club hopes to expand the kinds of activities and events they do. Some future goals include:

– holding walks or 5Ks for various causes (fundraising)

– bring in therapy animals for the students to spend time with

– help out with Wellness Day activities (meditation or another fun and relaxing activity)

Interested in joining? Reach out to the Student Assistance Coordinator Ms. Penna through email or in her office near the attendance office. You can also contact Nurse Reganata, or any of the OMM officers (Helene Usher, Sophie Levine, Sabrina Miller, Alyssa McHale).