“No man is an island.” “It takes a village.” “Love your neighbor.”
Those are all familiar expressions that remind us how much we need each other. We need each other not just for our emotional health, but also for our general health. Dr. Daniel Morehead, psychiatrist and director of training for the general psychiatry residency at Tufts Medical Center in Boston has noted, “Not having social interaction is as detrimental to your health as is smoking.”
We also need each other because each of us brings a piece of what makes us whole. None of us has all the gifts, all the talents, all the resources. We were made to share and to care.
For these and so many other reasons, the Well Community relies on others to participate in the mission to love well and serve well people in our neighborhood who live with the horrific challenges of severe mental illnesses. Thankfully over 250 individuals gave some of their time (a total of nearly 1,400 hours) last year to interact and care for our members. They helped us serve meals to hundreds of adults (a total of almost 3,000 meals).
It’s our larger community—businesses, churches, civic groups, individuals and families, along with foundations and corporations—that makes the Well a place of belonging. It’s our volunteers and staff who make the Well a safe and welcoming space.
As humans made for interaction and interdependency, we each have ways to participate in the lives of one another. My thanks to all who make up our village—those who continue to care and share.
As you can see, we need volunteers. We need donations. We need prayer. We need YOU.
Alice