October 15, 2007 - Farmington Valley, CT

Monday, October 15th I spoke to a group of about 50 people at the Valley Baptist Community Church in Avon, CT. It was a lovely church. You could tell they were very involved with their community and in helping a lot of folks.

Rick Connel, President of the NAMI - Farmington Valley affiliate was kind enough to invite me to his home for a Chinese dinner. We both shared our family experiences with mental illness and how it impacts so many people.

Again, the group was wonderful and there were many great questions. I also had the good fortune of meeting Frances Pass and several other active members. Frances, I hope we have a chance to sit down and have a long talk someday - since we're both southern girls who have lived in the north.

One woman shared that her symptoms of bipolar disorder showed up during her first semester of law school at Harvard. Talk about a stress trigger! I was extremely impressed and glad to hear that she finished her degree and has been practicing law. She is a great advocate for folks who are not be able to advocate for themselves.

Here is a group shot from the meeting:

From left to right: Nancy Kunak - President NAMI Newington, Francis Pass - Vice President, NAMI Farmington Valley, Rick Connel - President, NAMI Farmington Valley, (Dot) Dorothy Gilbey - Former Treasurer, NAMI Farmington Valley, and Angela Grett.