Make It OK Muscatine Shines a Light on Mental Health During May Awareness Month
This May, the community of Muscatine came together to support mental health awareness under the name Make It OK; Muscatine. Using materials from the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative’s statewide Make It OK Iowa campaign, a dedicated group of 26 committee members spearheaded local efforts to reduce stigma and start conversations around mental health.
The group launched its campaign just ahead of Mental Health Awareness Month, kicking off with a Facebook page on April 24 that quickly became a hub for community engagement, information sharing, and event coordination – reaching 1,400 followers in six weeks.
Over 300 T-shirts were purchased by community members, including entire businesses that outfitted their staff in green to support the cause. In addition, 85 green "Make It OK" decals were displayed in storefronts and office windows across Muscatine, signaling solidarity and creating welcoming spaces for conversations around mental well-being.
Two major community events took place during the month:
On May 1, committee members visited businesses around Muscatine to hang decals and participate in Chalk the Town Green, the Make It OK Iowa campaign to encourage positive sidewalk chalk messages throughout May. They captured photos at each location to promote participating businesses and amplify awareness online.
On May 15, the committee wore their green shirts to celebrate Wear Green Day as a continued show of unity and support for mental health awareness.
Sara Carlson, founder of Make It OK; Muscatine and a Board of Directors member and family support group facilitator for NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley, expressed gratitude for the groundswell of local support:
“We were overwhelmed by the positive response from the community! Everywhere you turned there was a T-shirt, decal, or friendly face asking how they can get involved. This is a true testament that demonstrates the need to talk about mental health. Please keep it up! Mental health matters in all months, not just May! A shout out to my committee members who helped make this happen.”
The campaign continues to grow, with weekly meetings and ongoing community interest beyond May.
“Make It OK; Muscatine is an inspiring example of the impact a community can have when they come together and utilize the Make It OK message to reduce mental illness stigma,” said Brianna Sink, Make It OK Iowa Coordinator. “We couldn’t be more excited to see how Muscatine has rallied together to raise awareness and how they will continue to Make It OK in their community!”
For more information on the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative’s statewide Make It OK Iowa campaign, visit makeitokiowa.org.For more information or to get involved in Make It OK; Muscatine, visit Make It OK Muscatine on Facebook.
Make It OK Iowa is sponsored by Delta Dental of Iowa, MidAmerican Energy, HealthPartners, TrueNorth, Corteva Agriscience, Clive Behavioral Health and Businessolver.
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The Healthiest State Initiative is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization driven by the vision that every Iowan has the opportunity to live their healthiest life. By creating awareness and integrating solutions to improve the physical, social, and mental well-being of Iowans, the organization aims to make this vision a reality. For more information, visit http://www.iowahealthieststate.com.