GOT a handful of mismatched socks in a drawer and you don’t know what to do with them?
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Well whatever you do, don’t throw them out because now they can be re-purposed to show your support for those suffering from mental illnesses by donning them on Odd Socks Day!
Led by Grow, a peer support group established in 1957 to assist people living with mental illness in Australia and overseas, Odd Socks Day is a national mental health anti stigma campaign aimed at educating communities about mental illness issues, challenging long-held attitudes and working to dispel the myths and misunderstandings often associated with the condition.
To launch the campaign in Narooma, disability employment services group, MAX Employment, hosted an Odd Socks Day Morning Tea earlier this month and invited local businesses and community members to join them for an informal social morning.
MAX Employment consultant Keryn McCoy said the concept of the morning tea was to encourage the community to come together in a relaxed atmosphere whilst raising awareness of mental health and the challenges these individuals experience.
“It’s a great opportunity for social interaction, to connect with others and especially for people to be made aware that there is help available to them,” Ms McCoy said.
MAX office manager Lyn Loughan and staff member Sally James said the campaign was a positive move towards assisting those with mental illnesses to overcome many of the barriers still confronting them, thus providing an easier path towards participating in their local communities and to gaining employment as well.
Also attending the MAX Employment Odd Socks morning tea were Zoe Moore, senior consultant with Campbell Page for the Illawarra and South Coast region and Samantha Appleby, the business development support officer for Mission Providence.
Good friends and neighbours Margaret Osborne and Patricia Coutant also volunteered their help on the day, with Patricia’s delicious made-on-the-spot French crepes a highlight!
This year was the first Odd Socks morning tea to be held in Narooma and MAX Employment was pleased with the turnout.
The group is now looking at the viability of future morning teas based on the success of this year’s event, with the aim of providing people having to contend with mental health issues a solid base from which to re-launch their lives.
So hold onto those odd socks!