Hannaford Supermarkets Director of Operations Andy Willette (left) presents the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York State Executive Director Wendy Burch (center) with a $100,000 donation.
Donation one component of overall $400,000 commitment to meet increased need for mental health resources in New York and New England during the pandemic
Hannaford associates to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month by wearing green shirts and ribbons throughout May
Albany, N.Y. – Hannaford and the Hannaford Charitable Foundation today jointly announced a $100,000 donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York State (NAMI-NYS) to help the non-profit organization continue building a strong network of resources for individuals affected by mental illness or mental health challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The $100,000 donation will help support NAMI-NYS’s efforts to raise awareness and conduct outreach around mental health and illness throughout the state. NAMI-NYS works to provide advocacy, education, support and public awareness to individuals and families affected by mental illness.
The donation is one part of an overall $400,000 commitment from Hannaford to support the work of NAMI branches in New York and New England which are working to expand mental health programs and services to individuals and families most directly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, including frontline workers, parents, young adults, and the elderly.
“Mental health is integral to the health and well-being of our associates, our families and our communities. By raising awareness and reducing stigma, we hope that more people will talk about their mental health experiences or seek help or support,” said Nicole Devoe-Lewis, Senior Vice President of Retail Operations and member of the Hannaford Charitable Foundation. “We thank the National Alliance on Mental Illness for their dedication to making affordable mental health support more accessible to all individuals.”
In addition to using the funding to support mental health awareness and outreach, NAMI-NYS will expand its programs and services, including a new interactive speaker series focused on topics such as mental health in schools; criminal justice and crisis response; multicultural mental health; and mental health in the workplace.
“NAMI-NYS applauds Hannaford’s commitment to supporting mental health in the community. Mental health conditions have become more prevalent than ever before, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the needs of those who are struggling. We are proud to partner with Hannaford to bring awareness and attention to mental health challenges and the available resources. Hannaford’s generous donation will have a significant impact on NAMI-NYS’s ability to deliver support and education to the local communities that both of our organizations serve, and we are so grateful for this substantial gift,” said Wendy Burch, Executive Director of NAMI-NYS.
The announcement coincides with a time of increased need for mental health resources resulting from the pandemic, which brought numerous emotional and physical challenges, including social isolation; illness and death; job loss; and feelings of fear and anger.
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S adults are experiencing elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with Covid-19, including increased depression and anxiety. The CDC also found that the number of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder increased from 36.4 to 41.5 percent; while the percentage of individuals reporting unmet mental health care needs increased from 9.2 to 11.7 percent between August 2020 and February 2021.
Throughout May, Hannaford associates will recognize Mental Health Awareness Month and the importance of destigmatizing mental illnesses by wearing green shirts and ribbons signifying the color associated with mental health awareness. These in-store efforts will occur in concert with a month-long awareness campaign designed to empower leaders and associates with the tools they need to identify and manage mental health, wellness and safety as a community of care.
For more information about Mental Health Awareness Month and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, visit www.nami.org.
About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 183 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs nearly 30,000 associates. Additional information can be found at Hannaford.co
About the Hannaford Charitable Foundation
The mission of the Hannaford Charitable Foundation is to invest in creating and sustaining healthy communities through providing support to non-profit programs that focus on the improvement of the root causes impacting the quality of life for our neighbors, customers and associates. Founded in 1994, the Foundation has given over $14 million to organizations in the New England region.