Advocates for the mentally ill step out
KANKAKEE, IL — Clearly eager to begin the seventh annual Make a Difference Day walk to raise community awareness about mental illnesses, more than 30 participants gathered Oct. 29 amid the sprawling forest of Small Memorial Park in west Kankakee. As the cool morning air streamed across the lush landscape, the group of residents from Kankakee Terrace, a Bourbonnais residential complex that provides specialized care for people with mental illness, coordinated the event.
Moments before the ribbon was cut to begin the daylong activity, Chris Ellsworth, a former Kankakee Terrace resident-turned-steadfast motivational speaker, recited an original poem he had penned for the special occasion, titled “Silencing the Stigma: A Walk of Understanding.” Once the 39-year-old activist had uttered the final phrase of the work, the much-anticipated walk began.
“I would always run away from my problems,” said Ellsworth, who suffers from bouts with major depression. Enduring the disorder for decades, the Kankakee resident mentioned that poetry and other fine arts projects serve as outlets for dealing with troubles. Currently controlling the disorder with prescription medication, the activist has composed over 150 works of poetry and has delivered speeches about mental illness throughout Illinois. “People with mental illnesses see me speaking and realize they can get better … they can do it.”
Sandra Mlaska, activity director at Kankakee Terrace, said, “There is a false stigma attached to mental illness. The community needs to see that people with mental disabilities can function when they’re on their medication.”
According to Mlaska, Kankakee Terrace residents raised about $2,000 for the walk to benefit patients at the Helen Wheeler Center for Community Mental Health in Kankakee. Representatives from Kankakee County businesses and social outreach organizations also pledged financial support, she added.
Keeping up with the others, Michael Cleary moved briskly through the course. The active member of Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Bourbonnais who co-created the annual event continues to help coordinate the walk. “People suffering from mental illnesses are very smart and creative people,” the 54-year-old activist said. “We’re no different than anybody else. This is our chance to be heard.”
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