Stronger Together: Empowering Minds, Creating Hope

Lanita Brooks Colbert • May 13, 2026
Woman in glasses working on a laptop, taking notes at a wooden table in a home office.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year’s theme, "More Good Days, Together," reminds us of the significance of connecting with others. With the message, "In Every Story, There's Strength," the main goals are to inform people and support wellness. Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 by the National Association for Mental Health to increase awareness of mental illness, reduce stigma, and advocate for better treatment. The movement was spurred by Clifford Beers, who, after experiencing severe abuse in mental institutions, published his autobiography, A Mind That Found Itself.  A single individual can catalyze systemic change by acting on their convictions and inspired a movement. 


Expanding upon NAMH's commitment to fostering substantive understanding, the Juanita C. Grant Foundation continues its legacy of advocacy and connection through its own initiatives. The Foundation’s Forward Together Initiative reflects this historical commitment by organizing its work around three pillars: Forward Wellness, Forward Unity, and Forward Village Connections.


Forward Wellness encourages us to explore, grow, and learn, helping us build or renew social connections for better mental health. Forward Unity invites us to share our experiences and value every generation, and Forward Village Connections fosters resilience through relationships and measurable outcomes. This third pillar of the initiative started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the foundation created The Village Connector Experience to help older adults reconnect with friends, family, and the community. Forward Village Connections continues to provide the resources that help people overcome challenges and feel a sense of belonging. 



As I reflect on these three pillars, I recognize how much my own understanding of well-being has been shaped by participating in community initiatives that mirror this approach. For example, when I engaged in actionable intentions like Forward Wellness, I found that exploring new social opportunities not only broadened my perspective but also increased my sense of support and connection. Similarly, experiences with multigenerational activities, as emphasized in Forward Unity, deepened my appreciation for the diverse strengths within my community. The interconnectedness of the pillars within the Forward Together Initiative underscores the importance of fostering communal support, personal growth and mental well-being. 


Life balance isn’t mythical, but it does take practice. Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month by practicing gratitude, focusing on your strengths, and making time for joy. Each morning, as I enjoy my coffee and listen to my favorite sounds of morning, I feel grateful and look forward to the day. 



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Regaining Our Groove After Being Cooped Up (Part 1)

By Leighton Campbell • May 2, 2022
I enjoy going to the gym, exercising, outdoor activities, and walking the neighborhood when the weather is good. For so many of us, these activities were halted because we were housebound and instructed to adhere the social distancing mandate to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Being an avid walker, I was not too thrilled about these restrictions, so I maintained my exercise routine the best I could indoors. Believe it or not, many of us felt confined and are still struggling with the effects of physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges following months of being cooped up indoors. Do you agree? Stopping normal activities, or even mingling with other people can have a tremendous bearing on older adults especially when many of us are postponing going to the doctor for routine medical checkups because we are still afraid of becoming infected and gravely ill from the virus. Well, if we don’t address or confront these fears and issues, we are likely to face poorer health challenges and increased medical problems. So, what are our next steps? Since most of us are vaccinated and boosted, and anxious to venture outdoors again, let’s begin with scheduling our medical appointments to make sure we are physically ready to be active after being housebound for almost two years or more. If we have concerns about going to the clinic or doctor’s office, another option is to schedule a virtual visit, which is a new and convenient way to connect with healthcare professionals. Stay tuned for Part 2-Tips To Get Us Moving! Bernice Lowe Flowers, Board Member

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By Leighton Campbell • July 23, 2020
 During the coronavirus pandemic, we have become overly concerned with maintaining the six feet distance designations and wearing our masks. We are annoyed when individuals do not follow the markings for six feet; ignore the directional markings in stores; or simply refuse to wear a mask for their own or loved ones’ protection. Conscious of our potential exposure to the virus, most of us are not spending a lot of time in grocery stores. We have a list and we hurriedly go through the aisles collecting our items and rush to the checkout. We avoid eye contact with anyone, i.e., other people in the aisles, stockers, workers, etc. If anyone sneezes or coughs in our immediate area, we are devastated and give the individual the “evil eye”. While I must admit, some of my actions resemble some of the above. However, I decided that I must consciously work on undoing some of these responses. I am a social being and realized that it was not sustainable for me to continue behaving this way. (My friends have tagged me the “Pied Piper” -- knowing no strangers.) So, I have made it a concerted effort to reverse some of these unsociable behaviors while socially distancing. Even under our current conditions, mask wearing and all, we can still smile with our eyes. Eyes have been called the windows into our hearts. So, I challenge you to just imagine how your sharing a small twinkle or displaying that gleam in your eye can bring calm and joy to those you encounter. Also, think of engaging in small mindful gestures such as a little wave of acknowledgement to someone you encounter or waiting a few feet away to allow someone to grab a grocery cart in isolation. I think if we each think of how we can restore some of the social niceties that are missing in today’s environment, that we would come up with endless possibilities that will work while socially distancing. Let us take the challenge by each of us trying to restore some civility or nicety into our society by being sociable as we are socially distant.    

Is it Just me?......

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The Secret Behind The Mask-Be Aware

By Leighton Campbell • July 22, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has really turned all of lives upside down, coping with this new phenomenon, wearing a mask. Older adults of late have become victims to unscrupulous predators wearing a mask. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the enforcement of masks wearing has left our older adults vulnerable targets for abuse and robbery. While they are not able to see the entire face of an individual behind the mask, at times this has caused some older adults to be less observant of their surroundings. As result older adults may be caught unaware of someone following them or aggressively moving towards them.  During this COVID-19 pandemic period, please encourage your older adult family member, friends, and neighbors, to stay alert while they are venturing out into the public to take care of whatever need they might have. If you have an older adult relative, or if you know of an older adult who lives alone, please offer to run errands for them or go with them. This will help in increase their safety and ensure they are able to have their daily needs met.        

It’s Physical Distancing, not Social Distancing!

By Leighton Campbell • July 12, 2020
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