Tomorrow is the Big Day!

Okay, tomorrow is the Big Day - the day we fundraise in/and in front of a dollar store for my County Drop in Center.

We hope this will be just the beginning of fund-raisers for the Center in the future.

The Drop In Center's mission is to provide a stress-free, stigma-free atmosphere for people 18 and over who are mental health consumers.

The Center gives mentally ill people a place to meet, to make new friends, to forget about their illness, to get out of the house for a while. People, that alone is a huge deal, whether it sounds like it or not.

This center is one of the few places in our area that the mentally ill can come together and play games like pool and ping-pong, get on a computer, talk to others, and just be! There are activities scheduled for each day and it's also just a place for down time, and getting out of the house. It is proving very successful.

For this fund-raiser, we are setting up a table in front of a local dollar store, where we will be handing out little cards to folks entering it, to remind them that if they mention us, we receive 10% of the profits of their sale.

I made the original arrangements with this particular dollar store to confirm our date (as well as their store across the county, located in a mall that won't let us hand out our flyers/cards. We will just hope for the best there). I started the organizing of it, and am playing an active part in it.:)

This all happened because a flyer of the store came in my snail mail here at the house, and caught my eye because it mentioned they would fundraise for schools and any non-profit.

I told our Executive director about it, and she encouraged me to call and make the arrangements. I was scared to cold call, I'll be honest, but I have made it through, with lots of praying, and I have been encouraged by the Director (she's a wonderful person with a heart of gold), as well as friends and family.

Also, we will be selling arts & crafts (mostly beaded jewlery) at our table. There will be pamphlets about what the center is about there as well.

I will be there bright and early at 8:45 a.m.

At this time, I am CALM and doing Okay about it. I was not thrilled with the idea of contact with complete strangers, or being the face of mental illness for anybody, but at the moment all butterflies and fears have subsided. I am really thankful for the support that I have had on blog and off about this subject!

I went to the Center last night to have a meeting with the founder of the Center and it's Executive director and that actually helped considerably with my anxiety.

They don't want me to stress out about anything, and made sure to let me know that. Not about this fundraiser or the grants we are working on. What wonderful people. Really. They are up to their ears in stress and sometimes chaos, and they are so kind to me. And it worked because I feel better.:)

Oh! And I forgot to update!! - the local newspaper did say they would mention our fundraiser, or try to mention it on their FYI page. That was great because I think my 'old contacts' at the paper made a difference. That made me feel good.:)

I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend. I wish you each well in your activities, and I'll let you know that I survived mine.:)