February 26, 2025
It’s the end of February and after bitter cold weather where I live, yesterday it was
spring-like. It reminded me that after the harsh winter, spring does come – albeit slowly
and not linearly. Changes of seasons also make me remember that the cycles of life
continue despite troubling external circumstances. Right now, many of us are worried
about our nation and the division we see. We are worried about our livelihood. We are
worried about our mental health. We are worried.
At NAAPIMHA we are also worried. However, we are also ready to act. We are ready to
lend a hand where we are able. We are ready to collaborate with others to pursue our
mission “to promote and redefine the mental health and well-being of the Asian
American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander individuals and communities
in the United States through training, programs, policy & advocacy, centering
those with lived experience.” We continue to conduct our trainings, meet about
policy and advocacy, and hold space for those vulnerable communities. We
continue to engage our lived experience network, NAAPIEN, to elevate the
voices and leadership of people with mental health lived experience.
Hope
To achieve these goals, we have had the good fortune to engage a number of
new Board of Directors to help shepherd NAAPIMHA into the future. The new
board gives me hope that our organization will be strong and able to lead the
effort toward more access, resources, knowledge, information, about mental
health and wellness in our communities. I am grateful for these amazing
individuals who have committed themselves to our mission and work. I am
grateful that we have over a hundred partners in this work. I am grateful for
our staff, our trainers, and our advisors. And I am grateful for those who
support our work through collaboration, through participation in our offerings,
and through donating to our organization so we can sustain our work. I invite
you to join us because mental health is important and we can’t reduce stigma,
share knowledge, and provide space for healing alone. We all need each other
– more than ever.
In community,
Pata Suyemoto
NAAPIMHA Executive Director