North St. Paul students offer words of encouragement to peers with mental illness
NORTH ST. PAUL, Minn. — Students at North St. Paul High School were lifting each other up as part of Shoe Day — a program by NAMI Minnesota that encourages teens to imagine themselves in each others' shoes.
Renee Labat and Kabao Yang were encouraging teens to pick up sharpies and write thoughtful notes to each other.
"We're writing messages of encouragement to kids with mental illness, so they know they're not alone," explained Labat.
One 10th grader poured through her already-cultivated Pinterest board, taking time to share all her favorite sayings, like "Asking for help is strength."
"It's really important to show people that you're not alone and there's people that care about you, and I know that I really wished that there's people that would do this when I was struggling and at my lowest," she said.
Many shared painful struggles, but also hope. They wrote their messages in both English and Spanish.
Labat hosts Shoe Days at schools across the metro. She says the magic is in the group expression.
"Seeing that other kids at their school are also writing these messages, that's super meaningful because they can see that if I talk about my mental health, I'm going to be supported," she said.
"I want people to know that you can get through these things and still feel beautiful after," explained another 10th grader.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.
In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.
