February 18, 2003

Dear Family and Friends,

As many of you know Connie and I have had a special relationship with NAMI of Collier County for sometime. NAMI is an acronym for National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Mental illness affects one in four families. We can tell you that the challenges, the successes, the failures in living with mental illness are many.

Through various NAMI programs, we have learned to cope with these changing circumstances and to maintain hope that our loved one can lead the best possible life with care, medication, and love.

All NAMI services are free of charge. NAMI helps in many ways:

To provide support to persons with serious brain disorders and to their families
To advocate for nondiscriminatory and equitable federal, state, and private sector policies
To advocate for improved opportunities for housing, rehabilitation and meaningful jobs
To support research into the causes, systems and treatments of brain disorders
To support public education programs designed to help eliminate the pervasive stigma surrounding severe mental illness

NAMI does accept donations. All donations are tax free.

We are writing to you asking for your help and participation. NAMI Collier County has been chosen as one of fourteen chapters to host the first ever NAMI Walks For The Mind Of America walkathon fund raiser; a 3.1 mile walk at Cambier Park, Saturday, May 3, 2003 at 8:00 am. Please join us on this day and walk on the Sullivan Team. Team T-shirts will be available for all walkers.

If you are unable to walk with the Team, but would like to make a donation, that would be much appreciated and acknowledged. Please make your check payable to “NAMI Collier County” and send to Connie or me. Advise us if you are planning to walk so that T-shirts can be ordered.

At least 95% of funds donated will stay here in Collier County to help continue the fine work.

Connie and I appreciate your time and interest in this appeal. Please call on us if you have any questions about NAMI or the Walkathon. We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Please walk with us.

Sincerely,

Jack and Connie Sullivan
(239) 514-3209

NAMI’ s funding comes from: the State of Florida (ADM office), United Way, US Trust, membership dues, Community Foundation, Saldukas Family Foundation, Trinity by the Cove, other small grants, and donors.

PROGRAMS INCLUDE:

Compeer: volunteers from the community are matched with a person receiving mental health services, to act as a “friend” to that person. Volunteers donate 4 hours a month; this helps reduce loneliness, hospitalization, and more.

Family to Family: this is our 12 week course for folks who have someone in their family with mental illness. Classes include topics such as: “medications, biology of the brain, empathy skills, what to do in a crisis, etc”. This is offered 2 times a year.

Family to Provider: NAMI of Collier was the first to bring this to the state. This is a 10 week course that teaches folks who work in our community mental health settings the “importance of working with families, what consumers and families need, biology of the brain, getting around confidentiality, etc.”

Peer to Peer: again, a first in the state. We are training two teams of 3 consumers to teach this 9 week class to consumers. Classes will include the above, but will also include “ the importance of medication management, spirituality, recovery, and will have each consumer finalize an advanced directive at the end of the course.

Hand to Hand: Again, the first in the state. This 8 week course teaches the caregivers of school aged children: all of the above, but will also tech them how to navigate the various systems that surround children: the schools, courts, etc.

Elderly and Depression: Dr. Margaret Springer hold seminars around the community on the co morbidity of depression and other illnesses in the elder population.

POWER: Parents Offering Wisdom, Education, and Resources: This is a support/education group that meets monthly. Each month has a speaker, on various topics that affect young children.

SUPPORT: We have monthly support groups for parents of adult children with mental illness, spouses, and also support groups for consumers.

Education: NAMI works with Naples Alliance for Children to hold quarterly community seminars on different topics that affect our children.

Law Enforcement Training: NAMI has, in the past, trained law enforcement officers on how to deal most effectively when responding to calls involving mental illness. We are also working on developing a CIT training.

Advocacy: NAMI works day and night to help people access the care they deserve, with the respect they also deserve.

Consumer Care: NAMI has spent over $8,000 on direct consumer care this year. We pay for emergency psychiatric evaluations when someone does not have the means to do so, we also pay for emergency medications.

This is a highlight of the programs and services we offer now. NAMI does not charge for ANY of our programs or services.

YES I/WE WILL WALK ON 5/3/03.

MY T-SHIRT SIZE IS: S M L XL

NO I CANNOT WALK , BUT CARE TO DONATE

NAME: ________________________________________

ADDRESS:______________________________________

ALL DONATIONS TO NAMI COLLIER COUNTY ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE

YES I/WE WILL WALK ON 5/3/03.

MY T-SHIRT SIZE IS: S M L XL

NO I CANNOT WALK , BUT CARE TO DONATE

NAME: ________________________________________

ADDRESS:______________________________________

ALL DONATIONS TO NAMI COLLIER COUNTY ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE

YES I/WE WILL WALK ON 5/3/03.

MY T-SHIRT SIZE IS: S M L XL

NO I CANNOT WALK , BUT CARE TO DONATE

NAME: ________________________________________

ADDRESS:______________________________________

ALL DONATIONS TO NAMI COLLIER COUNTY ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE