Donations Improve Lives
Grow a Strong Family is based on the strong belief that no one should live in isolation, without support, resources, or skills, especially caregivers and families impacted by others with mental illnesses/brain disorders.
An all-too-common tale: I have several family members with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and chronic disabling depression including my father, my sister, my aunt on my mother’s side, my stepfather, and both my daughters.
My youngest daughter’s first major episode of bipolar disorder occurred when she was in her mid-20s after life saving surgery. She became disordered in her thinking, anxious, and mean. She said, "Mom, I see myself saying and doing horrible things and I cannot stop. I am not in charge of myself." She agreed to treatment and medication for a while and then stopped.
The family became focused on her until we realized that we were all affected. There was such a sense of helplessness and loss. Our bright beautiful daughter was on a different path than any of us expected. We were directed to Grow a Strong Family for support, resources, strategies, and peers. The website is filled with the very information our whole family needs and yet we cannot find it anywhere else. The evidence-informed material is awesome. Almost a decade in and we feel so much better, less helpless, less loss.
Over 14306 people were served in 2021. There 8215 visitors to the website, over 7000 were first time visitors with 1137 repeat visitors.