We are thrilled to be an official charity of the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon for our 4th year!
Join the runners and advocates who support our work through the Chicago Marathon. Read on to learn a bit about us, our passion for advocacy, and our roots in Chicagoland. You can always connect with us on all socials @NoStigmas or by email to hi@nostigmas.org. đź’š
About Us
Our mission is to ensure that no one faces mental health challenges alone. We envision a world without shame or discrimination related to mental health, brain disease, behavioral disorders, trauma, suicide, and addiction. This mission is fulfilled by utilizing a uniquely individual approach that provides universal access to mental health prevention and education, support systems, and resources.
We aim to cultivate the go-to peer support community, and to be the driving force behind a positive shift in perspective by fostering a culture of inclusion and empowerment—creating a world with NoStigmas.
Chicago Roots
NoStigmas was founded in Chicago in 2007. Jacob Moore, NoStigmas’ Founder and CEO, introduced the grassroots movement on the 20th anniversary of his father’s death. Jacob’s father had a severe mental health condition and died by suicide in 1987. Striving to make a positive impact in the mental health community, NoStigmas implements programs designed from a lived-experience perspective with the intent to eliminate stigmas throughout the Chicagoland area. Our programs include community-based events, lived experience talks, and Ally-driven activations aimed at generating awareness about stigmatized issues, as well as fundraising and expansion of our community. These local events aim to inspire mentally healthy lives throughout Chicago and beyond by encouraging and educating individuals about prevention, treatment, and recovery resources.
We like to move it, move it
We are no stranger to getting active for mental health awareness! This is our 4th year as a Chicago Marathon Official Charity. We've also held our own NoStigmas 5K and participated in the Hot Chocolate 5K/15k, AFSP Overnight Walk, and Walk for Life Naperville. Whether you are a marathon runner, or an avid go-getter in your everyday life, remember to take us along for your training and tag us @NoStigmas on all social media platforms. Be sure to use the hashtags #IRunWithNoStigmas and #IHaveNoStigmas, and join us in advocating to end mental health stigmas!
Why We Advocate
The Chicago National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), reports that 38.5% of adults in Illinois ages 18 and older reported poor mental health (feeling very depressed and/or anxious and having to limit daily activities because of mental health problems). According to the Healthy Chicago 2.0 Report, it was self-reported that 18.4% of adults in the Chicagoland area feel that their health is fair or poor compared to 10.3% nationally. Because mental health challenges and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) are common across all socioeconomic and ethnic groups, it is important to think about universal prevention measures. NoStigmas also provides services that enhance the systems-of-care available to individuals in the Chicagoland area living with a mental illness. We aim to lower the stigmas of mental health services and to provide free peer-to-peer services for individuals.
Chicagoland Partners
NoStigmas fosters relationships with many stakeholders from the Chicago community, including Room to Breathe, Chicago Center of Behavioral Medicine, Chicago Mind & Body, Chicago Dance Therapy, Allstate, Esurance, Leo Burnett, C.H. Robinson, Accenture, The Joint Chiropractic, Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, The Purple Pig, Bull & Bear Fund and many other Chicago-based businesses and organizations.
Chicago Collaborators
We also work with many educational and charitable partners, including UNITY Charity Fashion Show at Northwestern University, DePaul University School of Nursing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Roosevelt University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago Community in Schools, Hope for the Day, Imerman’s Angels. These community stakeholders have collaborated with NoStigmas since its inception, and are invested in making the Chicagoland area a better and healthier place to live. They share similar missions and goals with NoStigmas, which makes their partnership and participation an important and valuable resource to the success of our programs.
