HOBOKEN – Hoboken officially becomes a “Stigma Free Zone” for those with mental illnesses on May 17 at 12 p.m. when the local branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI Hudson, stops at City Hall for a kickoff event and proclamation to begin Hoboken’s “Stop Stigma Week.”
“I’m proud to partner with NAMI Hudson to be one of the first, if not the first, city to really raise awareness of this issue,” Mayor Dawn Zimmer said in an interview earlier this month. “I recognize that it’s really difficult for patients and families. I’m very proud to advocate in any way I can for families dealing with a mental illness.”
Zimmer will also present awards to the winners of Hoboken High School’s essay contest related to the weeklong events.
As part of a local “Stop Stigma Week,” NAMI Hudson will air two films at the Hoboken Public Library. On May 18 at 6 p.m., the library will show “Canvas,” a film starring Hoboken native Joe Pantoliano, about a family whose mother suffers from schizophrenia. Pantoliano himself runs an organization to stop stigmas associated with mental illness.
On the next night, May 19, at 6 p.m., the group will present the showing of “Mind on the Edge,” a 2009 PBS film featuring a panel discussion about mental illnesses.
To read a full story about the group’s efforts in Hoboken, click the links below. – Ray Smith
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