We are delighted to announce an early end to MinnPost’s 10-day campaign to raise $10,000 to fund a new beat covering mental health and addiction issues.
We reached the goal last night, during Day 7. As of this morning, we’ve received 112 donations totaling $11,038.
Additional donations are still very welcome, and will be used to fund the second year of the beat.
The beat will launch Friday, November 1, written by Sarah T. Williams, longtime Twin Cities journalist who spent many years as a reporter and editor for the Star Tribune and later worked in communications for Planned Parenthood and then Hazelden Foundation.
The beat will be very broad, covering personal stories as well as policy issues related to mental health, addiction and the complex relationship between the two.
Many donors to the new beat have given us permission to publish comments about why they chose to support this effort. Below are comments that came in over the last day or two.
We look forward to an ongoing community dialogue about these important issues. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has stepped forward to make this dialogue possible.
Mental health is an issue that rarely get the coverage it needs. We all need to understand it better because it touches all of us.
Pamela Blixt, Minneapolis
In honor of Sally Williams for her vision and leadership
Sarah Stoesz,
In honor of Augsburg College Social Work students, alumni, and faculty
Barbara Lehmann, St. Paul
So happy that MinnPost is taking this on. Our community will be the better for it.
Susan Herridge,
As mental health professionals, we can’t thank you enough for helping to create much-needed public dialogue about these issues. Open conversation is an essential step in finding solutions.
Dr. Tom and Barbara Greenspon,
Thank you for sponsoring this wonderful campaign! Greater awareness and education about mental health will increase the well-being of our entire community.
Joy Erickson,
“Everything takes time. Bees have to move very fast to stay still.” – David Foster Wallace
Michael McGraw,
I just celebrated my 10-year sober birthday.
John West, Minneapolis, in memory of
In memory of everyone who suffered and succumbed to an unidentified mental illness.
Mark Covey,
Thank you for taking on this very important issue. The public needs better information and understanding about mental illness and addiction and how it impacts people’s lives, and we need better public policy and health care coverage for these illnesses.
Vicki Farden,
Good work, everyone!
Yay! Looking forward to reading it.