Be sure to attend a reunion and celebration for all our members, friends, Family to Family, Visions and support group members, alumni and guests. Food, fun & friendship is our agenda.

Touch base with old friends, share stories, and share a meal! Dinner will be served (chicken and side dishes). It's all happening on

Tuesday, August 21 at 6:30 p.m.
St. Anne's Church, 120 N. Ela, Barrington
Lower level - Thane Hall

$10 per person will cover the cost of the dinner.

RSVP to Mary at maryhs@gmail.com or 847-381-6919.

We sure would love to see you!

We have a wonderful opportunity to join the Greater Chicago NAMI Walk scheduled for September 23 from Grant Park.  This will allow us a chance for solidarity, significant fund-raising, renewing friendships and a 5K walk!  Who could ask for anything more?

One of the great things about this walk is its high level of organization and the ease with which you can ask for donations. In just a few minutes, you can set up a webpage that explains what the walk is and accepts credit card donations from your sponsors! You just send an email to those who might be interested and you’re done.

I sent a note with my Walks web address have gotten some really nice responses so far. Not only am I at 4/5 of my goal with almost no effort, but I've reconnected with a couple of old friends that I thought to include on my list.

The link below takes you to a page where you can join our team: NAMI Barrington Area.  Our goal is to have at least 25 walkers each raise at least $500. You will note that half of the funds raised will support the North Suburban Area NAMI and half will go directly to the Barrington Area affiliate. If you are not interested in being a walker, perhaps you will sponsor one.  There are also plenty of volunteer assignments you might help with. 

NAMIBA will have a bit of a hiatus during the middle of the summer and September will be upon us sooner than we can imagine.  I hope you will pause right now and sign up to walk on our team.  Then please take just a few more minutes to send a message to folks in your e-mail address book who may be willing to sponsor you.  Then sit back until the days grow cooler and we do our part---Walking for the Mind of America! 

Every Friday in August, NAMI Elk Grove Chapter’s C.A.R.E. consumer support group meets from 7 - 9 p.m. For anyone with a mental illness and a family member (18 and older). Alexian Brothers Behavioral Hospital,1650 Moon Lake Blvd Hoffman Estates. For information, call Carol at 847-352-6708 or Ruth at 630-497-9737.

Thursday, August 9. The NAMI Elk Grove Chapter family support group meets the second Thursday of the month from 6:45- 8:45 p.m. at the Kenneth Young Center, 1001 Rohlwing Rd., Elk Grove. Family, friends, and recovered consumers are welcome Call Sue at 630-529-3037 or Gina at 630 302 2530 for more information.

Tuesday, August 14, NAMI Barrington Area Chapter family support group, 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Barrington Area Library. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call Mary at 847-381-6919 for information.

Tuesday, August 14 and 28. The NAMI DuPage Chapter family support group meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the NAMI office, 1403 North Main, Ste 301, Wheaton. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Phone 630-752-0066 with any questions.

Wednesday, August 15. NAMI Northwest Suburban Chapter family support group meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at Alexian Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 114, Arlington Heights. Call Star at 847-899-0195 for details.

Thursday, August 16. NAMI McHenry County Chapter family support group meets the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the McHenry County Mental Health Board Building, 620 Dakota St., Crystal Lake. Call 815-444-9991 for information.

Tuesday, August 21, starting at 6:30. NAMI Barrington Area reunion and celebration for members, friends, class alumni and their guests. Touch base with old friends and find out what's going on in the chapter! Dinner to be served ($10 per person). St. Anne's Church in Barrington, 120 N. Ela, Barrington - lower level of Thane Hall. Please RSVP to Mary by August 17 847-381-6919.

Monday, August 26. The NAMI DuPage Chapter's parents with children with a mental illness support group meets the 4th Monday of the month at 7:30pm at the NAMI office. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call 630-752-0066 for information.

Every Friday in September, NAMI Elk Grove Chapter’s C.A.R.E. consumer support group meets from 7 - 9 p.m. For anyone with a mental illness and a family member (18 and older). Alexian Brothers Behavioral Hospital,1650 Moon Lake Blvd Hoffman Estates. For information, call Carol at 847-352-6708 or Ruth at 630-497-9737.

Tuesday, September 11, NAMI Barrington Area Chapter family support group, 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Barrington Area Library, Large Meeting Room B. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call Mary at 847-381-6919 for information.

Tuesday, September 11 and 25. The NAMI DuPage Chapter family support group meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the NAMI office, 1403 North Main, Ste 301, Wheaton. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Phone 630-752-0066 with any questions.

Starting  Tuesday, September 11. NAMI Elk Grove Family to Family class. A 12-week class for families of adults with brain disorders. No charge. Registration required. Call Marianne at 847-885-2279 or Jenny at 630-289-0383.

Thursday, September 13. The NAMI Elk Grove Chapter family support group meets the second Thursday of the month from 6:45- 8:45 p.m. at the Kenneth Young Center, 1001 Rohlwing Rd., Elk Grove. Family, friends, and recovered consumers are welcome Call Sue at 630-529-3037 or Gina at 630 302 2530 for more information.

Starting Sunday, September 16 or Tuesday, September 18. NAMI Barrington Area Family to Family class. For families of adults with brain disorders. Each is a 12-week class offered at no charge. The Sunday class will meet from 5-8 p.m., the Tuesday class from 6 - 9 p.m. Registration required. Call Maryrose at 847-382-6623.

Wednesday, September 19. NAMI Northwest Suburban Chapter family support group meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at Alexian Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 114, Arlington Heights. Call Star at 847-899-0195 for details.

Thursday, September 20. NAMI McHenry County Chapter family support group meets the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the McHenry County Mental Health Board Building, 620 Dakota St., Crystal Lake. Call 815-444-9991 for information.

Sunday, September 23. NAMI Barrington Area walks for the Mind of America. As major fundraiser for our chapter, we will participate in the Greater Chicago NAMI Walk from Grant Park. Our goal is to have at least 25 walkers each raise at least $500, and to meet this goal, we're going to need everyone's help, either as a walker or a donor. To register, to walk or to sponsor a walker, please visit our walk website.

Monday, September 24. The NAMI DuPage Chapter's parents with children with a mental illness support group meets the 4th Monday of the month at 7:30pm at the NAMI office. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call 630-752-0066 for information.

Tuesday, September 25. NAMI Barrington Area board meeting in the Barrington Area Library, Large Meeting Room B, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Drop in and learn what's going on in the chapter!

Thursday, September 27. NAMI Northwest Suburban Chapter presents Dr. Neil Pliskin (U of I Chicago) on the role of neuro psychology in the evaluation and treatment of chronic mental illness (no reservation, no charge). 7 p.m. at Alexian Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 114, Arlington Heights. Call  847-899-0195 for details.

Saturday, September 29. NAMI McHenry Walkathon at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake. Visit the McHenry website or phone 815-444-9991 to register or to volunteer.

Saturday, September 29. NAMI DuPage Run for the Mind at Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton. Visit the DuPage website or phone 630.752.0066 to register or to 630.752.0066 ext.212 to volunteer.

Coming up in October: NAMI Illinois Annual Education Conference October 5-7, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield.

We will offer two sessions this fall, one of them on Sundays beginning September 16 from 5-8 p.m.and the other on Tuesdays beginning September 18 from 6-9.

These NAMI classes, starting again in the summer, are for family members, partners, and friends of individuals with serious mental illness. "This course is a wonderful experience," said one student. "It balances basic education and skill-training with emotional support, self care and
empowerment."

There is no cost to participate, but registration is necessary as class size is limited.

There is no charge for the course, but please call Marci to register now.

An important issue is before Congress now that needs attention: the Mental Health Parity Act, which would require health insurance companies to cover mental health in the same way as other illnesses.

This is a really important issue, and we're learning how big a difference a single letter, call or email can make. I urge you to contact your representatives now.

It hardly seems possible that I have been writing this column (my first I might add) for a year now.  Even more I can hardly believe that Barrington NAMI is one year old!  What an exciting year it has been for us all.

Now it feels like time to move on in my life.  So this will be my last column for this newsletter.  I have taken on some new projects, as I mentioned in May.  And I find that my plate is too full and I need to make room for the new things in my life. 

Before I go, I would like to pass on one more tip…

This might be something you want to explore. If so, here's the article in the Sun Times and here's the program description and application on the DePaul website.

Right now our biggest needs are for those willing to help with fundraising and to help with organizing social events. But if there are other ways that you would like to help or would just like to be more involved with the group, please call.

Call Maryrose at 847-382-6623.

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