Our mental health journeys are far from linear. From moment to moment, we experience and perceive life in different ways that can turn our world upside down.
Whatever we walk through, what matters is how we show up for our community. In moments of celebration, uncertainty, sorrow and healing, it’s vital that we show up for others — and have support systems that show up for us.
Mental health challenges affect people in every community, workplace and family. Anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use disorder and other mental health conditions can affect anyone. Yet stigmas, misunderstandings and barriers to care persist. Because of the stigma and challenges that swarm mental health care, many people struggle in silence.
NAMI Southwest Florida is a nonprofit that raises awareness, provides education, advocates for and supports people affected by mental illness.
NAMI believes visibility matters when it comes to supporting people through their journey to mental wellness.
Through support groups, mental health resources, mental health education and community events like the NAMI 5K Sunset Walk, NAMI fights to ensure no one in Southwest Florida walks their mental health journey alone.
I was first introduced to NAMI during crisis intervention training as a Florida Gulf Coast University police officer.
As an officer, my role expanded beyond traffic stops and general public safety.
I had the honor and privilege of walking with students in times of vulnerability and supporting some of their first steps toward getting the mental health resources they needed.
I will never forget the students who approached me after seeking the resources they needed and the gratitude they expressed.
It was in those moments that I knew supporting people and their mental health would be a passion I would pursue forever.
Supporting someone through their mental health journey isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about being present, listening without judgment and knowing how to support them without trying to fix the situation.
Sometimes support means encouraging professional help and other times it means lending a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on.
NAMI supports the Southwest Florida community through the annual NAMI 5K Sunset Walk and the accompanying resource fair, which takes place March 14.
The walk is a public display of support for members of our community who are walking through their unique mental health journeys.
Many participants walk in honor of someone they love or in memory of someone they’ve lost.
Others walk for themselves to celebrate milestones in their own healing.
I walk for the people who can’t and those who don’t know they have support. I want to be that support for them.
Who will you walk for?
-Christian Pineda is a member of NAMI Southwest Florida board of directors and is the NAMI 5K Sunset Walk chair. He became passionate about supporting mental health after his time in the Marines and as a Florida Gulf Coast University police officer.
If you go:
The eighth annual NAMI 5K Sunset Walk will be held on Saturday, March 14, in downtown Fort Myers. The walk to mental wellness takes a scenic sunset route from Fort Myers Centennial Park to the US 41 Bridge and back. Day-of registration will open at 4 p.m., and the walk will commence at 6 p.m. The walk is open to attendees of all ages and leashed pets are welcome.
Additionally, multiple sponsorship opportunities are also available, ranging from the Beacon of Hope Sponsor ($20,000), which includes a speaking role at the event, to Supporter Sponsor ($500). Each level of sponsorship includes various promotional opportunities and helps ensure the organization’s event and mission continue.
To register as an individual, organize a team or commit to a sponsorship, visit NAMIWalks.org/SouthwestFlorida.
