Macedonia Baptist Church, 608 N. Seventh St., will host an initiative called Community Conversation at 7 p.m. Nov. 20. to address mental health issues.

“Removing the Stigma” is a community service that provides greater awareness of mental health in general and depression specifically. The public is invited to the free event. Several mental health care professionals will share important information and will be available to answer questions.

All are invited and encouraged to participate. In addition, there is an opportunity for volunteers to serve on a team that will receive calls to connect people to the counselling network. For more information, contact Pastor Matthew M. Lubin, Sr., 325-669-8167.   

The following public service announcement about the event was issued by Lubin:

“Life is not always fun, nor is it always fair. Mountain top experiences do happen, but there are no mountains without valleys. Sometimes, we all struggle with our emotions, and that is alright because it is normal and natural. There is nothing wrong with a person who feels some kind of way when life hits them. In those times, we can be susceptible to making some poor decisions in our attempts to find relief, and tussle through the stuff all by ourselves because we do not want anyone to know that we are wrestling with our emotions. This should not be the case for any of us.

Removing The Stigma is community service that provides greater awareness of mental health in general and depression specifically to help remove the negative stereotypes that have been attached to persons in the African American community in particular, but not exclusively. The organization’s goal is to provide healthy resources to navigate negative emotions, behavioral patterns, and to connect people to counselors and community.” 

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