The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is mental wellness.
Happily, the stigma of mental illness is fading. What was once whispered about — or not spoken of at all — is now openly discussed.
While this is real progress, it is one small step on a very long road.
Access to mental health care and addiction counseling is out of reach for far too many. The repercussions of that lack of care are profound for the affected individuals, for those around them and for society at large.
Even for those who do get help, the wait is long. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that the delay between the onset of symptoms and eventual treatment is an average of 11 years.
The campaign’s category includes groups that address mental illness, addiction, developmental disability, domestic violence, counseling for rape survivors, help for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and more.
If you’re still unsure of where to focus your giving in this category, the website for the campaign, also called the CFC, makes it easy:
Under “Donors” on the home page, choose “Online Charity Search” from the drop-down menu.
The second field is “Select a Specific Category.” From there, choose “Mental Health & Crisis Intervention.” Thirty-two pages of nonprofits that address these needs will pop up.
The Combined Federal Campaign is the federal government’s workplace charity drive. The latest campaign began Sept. 1 and runs through Jan. 15.
Participation in the CFC is voluntary.
The GiveCFC.org website has more information.
This is the 14th in a series of articles spotlighting the Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week. Next week: community improvement.
