Nonprofit of the Month: Mental Illness Resource Association

The Hastings Mutual Insurance Company Charitable Foundation recognizes the contributions of nonprofit organizations in the communities we serve. Each month, we’ll honor one of those organizations as our Nonprofit of the Month.

Mental illness affects an estimated 22% of American adults. Experts designate many conditions, or disorders, as mental illness, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, anorexia, bulimia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They’re sometimes laughed off and other times dismissed as just part of living in the modern world.

But the Michigan-based Mental Illness Resource Association (MIRA) is trying to change that. In its own words, the organization “works to educate and erase the destructive myths surrounding the stigma of mental illness that block proper diagnosis and treatment for millions of Americans each year.” MIRA promotes education about mental illnesses to help people understand what they are and how there’s no shame in living with a mental illness.

For more on the Mental Illness Resource Association, visit the website.