ENCOURAGE: A Community Mental Wellness Fair being hosted May 20

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Social Therapy Project is holding its second annual event, called ENCOURAGE: A Community Mental Wellness Fair.

Tuesday morning (May 16), KSLA’s Domonique Benn and Biskie Duncan spoke with organizer, Valencia Jones, about why some people are hesitant to reach out for help.

Domonique: “Wow. Why are some people reluctant to get help for mental health? I remember years ago, maybe 20 years ago when I was younger, you think, oh, you know, I don’t need it. And now that I’m older and have children, I went through a traumatic, you know, having children, one of my children two months early stress, yes, I need somebody to talk to so. Why is that?”

Valencia: “Well, because number one, people still have that stigma. Something is wrong, but everybody, everybody experiences stress, gets frustrated, gets higher. Yes, there’s all kinds of things that get us overwhelmed.”

Biskie: “So there’s absolutely nothing wrong with reaching out and saying, ‘I hear you, and I’m here for you. We got this.’”

This event is free, and it’s not just about healing. It’s also about self-care and wellness.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 20 at 520 Olive St. in Shreveport at the Highland Center.

Copyright 2023 KSLA. All rights reserved.