Balanced Partnership Raises the Scale of Mental Health Awareness

Mental illness is present in everyday life. If you know at least five people, chances are you know someone with a mental health condition, as it affects 1 in 5 American adults. Despite what stigma and stereotypes would have you believe, these people matter—their challenges, their ability to get help, their loved ones, their mental health—it all matters to us at NAMI.

We want to help make your life better if you struggle with depression, if you live with schizophrenia or if your loved one experiences borderline personality disorder. We are here for you. This is the message we spread, and have been spreading since our inception in 1979. We are continuously looking for new groups of people and new audiences to hear that message, to hear our voice. No single audience is ever large enough when it comes to spreading awareness about mental health. But with each partnership, with each sponsorship, with each celebrity spokesperson, we reach more and more ears.

That’s why we are so proud to announce our new partnership with Lokai—a socially responsible lifestyle brand that represents the importance of finding balance along life’s journey. Lokai is determined to help NAMI build our movement through raising awareness and supporting one of our most important resources: the NAMI HelpLine.

What Does this Partnership Look Like?

Using their influence, Lokai will be sponsoring NAMI for the entire month of March via their Limited-Edition Orange Lokai bracelet. For every bracelet sold, $1 will go to support the NAMI HelpLine.

This popular brand has already started spreading our message of hope and inspiration with messages such as: “Don’t walk through your toughest day alone. We’re in this together.” Millions of people—who may not have known about NAMI before—have seen these inspirational posts, and will hopefully be encouraged to reach out to us if they need to.

Why the HelpLine?

The NAMI HelpLine is our way of offering hope, kindness and compassion to every person who contacts us. Staff and volunteers take the calls, answer the emails and respond to the Facebook messages of people in need of help, support, and resources. Each year, the NAMI HelpLine provides support and resources for tens of thousands of individuals nationwide by connecting them to support groups, education classes, local NAMI affiliates, and hundreds of other resources.

In 2016, the NAMI HelpLine:

• Received over 23,000 calls from individuals.
• Responded to almost 3,000 emails.
• Had over 70 volunteers working tirelessly to provide guidance and a compassionate ear.

In 2017, the NAMI HelpLine plans to improve their online support and expand engagement for the Spanish-speaking community. This progress will be greatly aided by the donations received from Lokai.

The funds raised from this partnership will make sure that anyone who needs guidance and resources for mental illness can have access to it. The awareness raised from this partnership is priceless—we will help to change perceptions, dismantle harmful stereotypes and encourage hope to those who feel hopeless.

Together, we will try to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness by making awareness, understanding and support more visible. You can help support this partnership—and the mental health movement—by purchasing your Orange Lokai bracelet and showing the world that you care about mental health.