The city of Columbia will sponsor an observance event for children’s mental health from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday at the Shelter Insurance Fountain, 1817 W. Broadway, according to a news release.
This event will kick off with Mayor Barbara Buffaloe reading an official proclamation declaring the week of May 3 to May 9 as Children’s Mental Health Week, according to the news release.
The event will be a united effort from Children’s Groove, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, according to the news release.
Attendees will also hear remarks from speakers representing organizations that serve children and families in Columbia, according to the news release.
Part of the observance will be a moment to “Ring4Hope,” in which attendees will join others across Missouri to ring bells to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week, according to the news release.
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Additionally, the audience will be asked to focus on one specific child and one specific way they might enhance that child’s social, emotional and mental well-being to be added to the event’s Resolution Tree, according to the news release.
“We believe asking people to write down specific ways they will encourage a specific child increases the likelihood they will carry out positive deeds,” said Sarah Green Lee, president of Children’s Grove. “After all, our children need more than our caring to sustain their well-being. They need our healthy words, actions, and resources.”
Attendees are encouraged to wear green, bring a bell, a lawn chair, and a banner or poster with their agency logo for group photos. Green ribbons will also be available at the event, according to the news release.
Various Columbia organizations will be displaying green lights to call attention to the week-long observance to fuel awareness, according to the news release.