As Covid-19 is profoundly impacting communities all over the world, Need in Deed continues to seek meaningful ways to connect the classroom with the community.
Each year Need in Deed students are tasked with choosing social issues that resonate with them. One of the most frequently chosen is mental health, more specifically, how issues of mental health affect young people.
When students make that choice, our first call is to Minding Your Mind. One of our longtime community partners, their goal is to “reduce the stigma and destructive behaviors often associated with mental health issues.”
One of Minding Your Mind’s programs brings young speakers, all of whom have some experiences with issues of mental health to classrooms. One of those talented young speakers is Jordan Burnham. Jordan serves as the Director of Student Engagement at Minding Your Mind and has been with the organization for 12 years.
Jordan’s story of his struggle with anxiety, depression and an attempt on his own life is one that he has shared with numerous Need in Deed classes. Now thriving, Jordan calls himself a “messenger of hope,” and says that “though we may not choose the things that happen to us, we can choose how we cope with them.”
We wanted to know how Jordan and our friends at Minding Your Mind are coping with this time of social isolation and stress. Check out this interview with Program Manager, Tyra Washington as she and Jordan discuss his story and how Minding Your Mind is still helping students quarantined at home.