NAMI in the News

Volunteer Appreciation Week

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:21:05 GMT

Celebrating our Volunteers: The Heart of NAMI

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and at NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties, we are proud to celebrate the incredible individuals who make our work possible. Every day, our volunteers bring compassion, dedication, and hope to individuals and families affected by mental health challenges in our community.

Last year alone, 153 volunteers gave their time and talents to support NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties, contributing more than 2,422 hours of service. Whether serving behind the scenes or on the front lines, each volunteer played a vital role in helping us expand our reach and strengthen mental health support throughout our community.

Our volunteers make a difference in so many ways, including:

Helping plan and support community events like the Walk & 5K for Wellness
Serving on committees and our Board of Directors
Assisting with outreach and awareness efforts
Supporting education and support programs
Advocating for improved mental health resources
Sharing their time, talents, and passion in countless other ways

Because of our volunteers, we are able to provide hope, education, and support to individuals and families across Wayne and Holmes Counties. Their generosity of time and spirit helps reduce stigma, build understanding, and ensure that no one has to face mental health challenges alone.

To all of our volunteers — thank you. Your compassion strengthens our mission, and your commitment makes a lasting impact in our community.

If you have ever considered getting involved, Volunteer Appreciation Month is a wonderful time to join us. Whether you can offer a few hours, serve on a committee, or lend your voice to advocacy efforts, there is a place for you at NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties.

Together, we are building a stronger, more supportive community — and it starts with our volunteers.

How to Form a Walk Team

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:41:31 GMT

Hope in Every Step: Four Team Fundraising

Successes for the Walk and 5K for Wellness

Across Wayne and Holmes Counties, our community continues to show up in powerful ways for mental health recovery. As we build momentum for the NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties Walk & 5K for Wellness, we are inspired by the creativity, heart, and teamwork behind our teams’ fundraising efforts. Every dollar raised supports free local programs like MOCA House, Family-to-Family Classes, CIT, support groups, and education that bring hope and help to families right here at home.

Here are four standout ways teams are making an impact — and ideas you can borrow for your own efforts.

Jon’s Squad uses Personal Letters + Matching Gifts = Double the Impact

This dedicated team took a relationship-centered approach by launching a personal letter-writing campaign. Jon’s family shared why NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties is important to them and invited friends and family to give. Then they secured a donation through GBU to match the funds they raised. The result? Donations grew quickly, and supporters felt personally connected to the mission. When heartfelt storytelling meets matching gifts, momentum builds fast.

Homegrown Efforts That Build Community

Country Girls has supported NAMI for years! This team leaned into their talents with bake sales and personal donations. From homemade treats like cinnamon rolls, iced coffee sales at community events, they created easy ways for neighbors and friends to contribute. These grassroots efforts not only raised funds, but also sparked meaningful conversations about mental health recovery along the way. It’s proof that you don’t need a large event to make a big difference - just willing hands and a shared purpose.

Walking in Memory: Fundraising with Purpose

For our Run for Riley team, the Walk and 5K for Wellness is deeply personal. They continue to organize their team in loving memory of Riley, who they lost to suicide. Their story is one of courage, remembrance, and hope for other families. They maintain a Facebook page where they share updates on the Walk and invite their family and friends to join them. By sharing their “why,” they have built a compassionate circle of supporters who walk beside them each year. Purpose-driven fundraising like this reminds us that every step truly matters.

Workplace Fun that Drives Big Results

One of our amazing corporate teams, Western Reserve Group, brings both enthusiasm and friendly competition to their walk each year. Their team organizes an on-campus walk and coordinates a popular raffle featuring donated prizes employees genuinely enjoy - everything from gift cards, to local restaurants to coveted blue-jeans days and other workplace perks. We love how they have customized this event to fit their culture! The event is highly visible, fosters team spirit, and most importantly, helps advance mental health recovery and support in our community.

Your Team Will Make the Next Big Impact!

There is no single “right way” to fundraise for the Walk and 5K for Wellness! The most successful teams simply start with what motivates them and invite others to be part of the journey. Whether your approach is personal, creative, memorial, or workplace-focused, your efforts help NAMI Wayne and Holmes Counties continue to provide free, life-changing mental health support across Wayne and Holmes counties.

Ready to take the next step?

Form your team, set your goals, and join us for the Walk and 5K for Wellness! Contact us at 330-264-1590 or ksymonds@namiwayneholmes.org and we will help you set up your team and cheer you on!

Featured in NAMI Ohio - Article from NAMI Ohio

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 16:46:09 GMT

We are excited to share an article that was in the NAMI Ohio Newsletter !

NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties

The areas NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties serve have a small but widely diverse population – from suburban residents and factory workers to college students and Amish farmers. However, the problem of chronic mental illness is the same there as everywhere else in Ohio, affecting about 1 in 5 people across socioeconomic, religious and racial levels. Helen Walkerly, the dynamic executive director of the NAMI affiliate, has worked tirelessly for years to bring help and support to people in need in the two-county area that has a population of 160,000 – smaller than the city of Akron. “We have a variety of socioeconomic levels, particularly in Wayne County where we are blessed to have some folks who are financially secure,” Helen said. “We have the whole spectrum here.” The area has the largest population of Amish residents in the U.S., but it also boasts two higher education centers – the College of Wooster and a branch of Ohio University. A non-profit mental health advocacy organization was formed in the area in 2000 and eight years later was incorporated into the current NAMI affiliate. NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties Due to its solid fundraising efforts and support from local mental health agencies, it is one of the few affiliates in Ohio to own its own building, located at 2525 Back Orville Road in Wooster.

Don’t let the small population size of the two counties fool you. NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties is one of the most active affiliates in the state of Ohio. Much of the affiliate’s success is due to Helen’s energetic and creative leadership, bridging the gap between diverse communities in the area. The challenge of serving the large Amish community, the so-called “plain folks” who purposely live detached from most aspects of modern life, has been met through many efforts, including a NAMI van that travels into Holmes County almost daily to provide transportation for Amish clients. The outreach to the Amish is sensitive since there are a variety of Amish sects, Helen said. NAMI has provided family classes in Amish homes for years and has a member of the Amish community on the organization’s board of directors. “The Amish are wonderful, wonderful people,” Helen said. ‘Like in the general population, there is a stigma attached to seeking help for mental health issues. But that has changed in the Amish community because Jen Grim, who is Director of Advancement for the affiliate, said people in the community know who NAMI is and contribute generously through fundraising efforts, including a walk and 5K race. NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties recently had a pleasant chore. Officials had to buy a case to accommodate local, regional and state awards the affiliate has garnered. The affiliate can be reached online at namiwayneholmes.org or by phone at 330 264-1590.

We’ve been able to show them how helpful it is, and provided them with information about mental illness. It has helped change some of their attitudes.” The affiliate also operates the very busy MOCA House, short for Motivating Optimistic Caring Accepting, a facility open Monday through Friday to anyone in the two counties with mental health concerns. A peer specialist staff member is always on duty and the center offers peer to peer education, expressive art activities health and wellness programs, games and social time, a recovery work group, and Family-to-Family education class. The affiliate’s therapeutic art programs have been so successful that many works of art are sold annually at auction. Another program serving the overall community is the Local Outreach to Survivors of Suicide Team, or LOSS Team. The affiliate does suicide education and prevention programs, but also participates in the emotional task of going to the scene when someone takes their life to provide support to the family and loved ones. NAMI is notified by the county coroner so a trained NAMI volunteer can support the family in person or by telephone. “We often go to the scene and just be with the family. It’s an investigation by law enforcement and there’s yellow tape and generally the family is kept out of that,” Helen said. “We go there to help them.” Even though she’s the affiliate director, Helen still actively participates in the LOSS Team. It’s known as “ post-vention ” support since it occurs after a life is lost. Last but far from least, NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties is an active participant in Crisis Intervention Training which is aimed at law enforcement to help officers be better able to handle emergency situations when someone with mental illness is involved. In 2019, the affiliate was named as the Ohio Affiliate of the Year in the annual statewide CIT awards.

Soaring with Hope Artists of MOCA House

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 16:26:54 GMT

Soaring with Hope Artists of MOCA House October 26, 2022 - January 2, 2023 in collaboration with Pegs Foundation.

Event Details

Dates: October 26, 2022 - January 2, 2023

Location: Peg's Gallery 10 W. Streetsboro St. Hudson, OH 44236

In Collaboration with:

NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties Receives the 2022 Impact Award for Excellence in Mental Health

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 16:19:06 GMT

We are so honored to receive the 2022 Impact Award for Excellence in Mental Health.

Please take a few moments to watch the video below outlining the award, and as always, thank you for your continued support of NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties!

NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties Receives Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce 2021 Worthy Works Award

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:01:43 GMT

We are so honored to receive the 2021 Worthy Works Award from the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce!

Please watch the video below for an outline of the award!