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Thank you to our donors!
Because of your generosity, we have surpassed our goal of $10,000 and raised $13,000 to help relaunch the Ending the Silence program for schools around the Bay Area community! This is truly a dream come true, and we are so grateful. We are once again reminded of the power and strength of our Community.
Charlotte and Irene presenting the check at the NAMI Annual Luncheon
Our short documentary on the importance of mental health education is out now!
And check out our feature story on CBS!
The Community Photobooth's 3rd annual Photoshoot Fundraiser will be honoring Suicide Prevention Month this September 2022.
The original message from Charlotte Rosario (Founder and Executive Director)...
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A few years ago, my dad passed away. My dad was charismatic, caring, and kind. He was a jokester, gifted mountain biker, passionate dog-lover, and big will-make-you-smile-too smiler. He would sketch the most realistic drawings of my favorite cartoon characters in a matter of minutes, casually pick up a new sport over the weekend, and devour my red velvet cupcakes even when I would accidentally use granular sugar instead of powdered sugar for the frosting. My dad seemed to be able to do absolutely anything---except talk about his mental health.
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​While my dad was diagnosed with a rare throat cancer near the end of his life, he had to battle his depression and the stigma around it every day of his life since he was young. As a 56 year old male who was born into a generation that heavily stigmatized mental health, he never spoke up about his mental illness to friends or family or got help throughout his life.
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I am telling you this because it is important. It makes me uncomfortable to talk about it, but that is the issue in itself. As a community, we do not talk about mental health enough. And it is an epidemic of an illness that is exacerbated by stigma. It is putting the healthy minds of our family, friends, neighbors, fellow community members, and our next generation at risk. In fact, statistics show that youth self-harm and suicide rates are at a crisis point coming out of the pandemic.
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For some people, the onset of certain mental health issues may not be a matter of choice. But it is important to note that speaking up and asking for help can be a choice. We must ensure that the younger generation is aware of, knows how to, and can get help when they need it. We need healthy minds to have healthy people to have a healthy world. This is why it is pertinent that we teach about mental health in schools.
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So please, I urge you to consider donating. If you are a parent, donate for the sake of your kids. As youth, donate or consider getting involved in The Community Photobooth for the sake of your peers, friends, siblings, and even yourself. As a community member, donate for the sake of your community. Every donation—big or small—will help us bring presentations to another Bay Area school, train another group of students on suicide prevention, and improve a few more young lives. 100% of our proceeds are going right back into our Bay Area community, and, as an added bonus, you'll receive a free photoshoot in return.
Why do we need your help?
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1 in 5 teens ages 13-18 experience a mental health condition in a given year
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80% of teen with a mental health condition are not currently receiving treatment
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50% of youth ages 14+ with a mental health condition will drop out of school
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Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds
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About 1/2 of individuals with a mental health condition began experiencing symptoms by age 14
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The average delay between onset of symptoms and receiving treatment is 8-10 year
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According to the San Mateo County Health Office, San Mateo County has the highest rate per 100,000 youth for self-injury hospitalizations compared to neighboring
counties and a higher rate compared to the state average.
Starting the conversation
in schools.
The initial goal of the fundraiser was to raise $10,000. Now that we've met $10k, our goal is to reach $20,000 to help relaunch the Ending the Silence program of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in San Mateo County and bring mental health and suicide prevention education to local schools. The purpose of the NAMI Ending the Silence program is to end the stigma around mental health and educate youth on the warning signs of mental health conditions as well as what steps they should take to find support for themselves or their friends. The program will involve presentations and events at Bay Area middle school and high school communities, where young adults who have recovered from their mental illness will share their stories to inspire, spread hope, and start a conversation. Teens will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain understanding of an often misunderstood topic. Through dialogue, we can end the stigma around mental health and empower our Bay Area youth to speak up when they need help.
How will the $10,000+ be spent?
We will be donating 100% of what we raise to the Ending the Silence program at the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in San Mateo County. Here is where the money will be going within the program:
Program development/expansion - ongoing follow-up services after initial presentations for teens in SMC ($5000+)
Marketing/Community Relations - labor, social media advertising, flyers, school and community fairs ($2500+)
Education & Training - Presenters - labor, materials, mileage ($1500+)
Expanded assistance with young adult and teen resource line calls ($1000+)
The Lau Family posing for a photo at the 2021 Photoshoot-Fundraiser
Oh, and you
also get a FREE PHOTOSHOOT.
The Community Photobooth is all about giving back to the community. This means giving back to our community through monthly donations, fundraisers, and events—and it also means giving back to you, a beloved member of our community. As a way to say Thank you for your donation and continue our "Photoshoot-Fundraiser" tradition, The Community Photobooth will be offering free 30-minute photoshoots at Washington Park for you and/or your family throughout the month of September. We understand that finding time to take the annual family photo can be a hassle, so we want to give you an opportunity to walk away from the fundraiser with more than just a feeling of pride and goodness but a collection of beautiful, tastefully-edited photos bound for the upcoming holiday card.
The photoshoot sign-up link will be sent once you submit your donation.
Say hello to the 2022 Photoshoot-Fundraiser photographers...
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