"You are not alone"
Welcome!
Bringing us together every January 7th to commemmorate those whom we have lost to suicide due to mental illness while encouraging surviving loved ones
Sunday, January 7th 2024
2024 Event
11:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Middlessex County Fire Academy
1001 Fire Academy Dr, Sayreville, NJ 08872
The unseen pain that goes undiagnosed, dismissed and stigmatized. The pain that has overtaken so many loved ones to the point that they can no longer bear the struggle and sadly causes many to end their lives prematurely. Friends and family support the grieving ones during their time of tragedy. The fresh memory of the departed ones and the support is comforting. Unfortunately this support fades over time. The people around “move on” with their lives and may not fathom why the sadness and pain still exist for the grieving, who continue to relive the tragedy and bear the continuous pain.
Please join us every January 7th. The Darren Clark Jr. Memorial and NAMI NJ will observe the annual Invisible Pain Day with a community gathering. It is an official day to honor those who have lost a loved one to mental distress and suicide. We will come together to encourage and support one another, bring awareness to mental illness and remind the world that our loved ones may be gone, but they will never be forgotten. We will spread hope and share vital information to people affected by suicide. Our goal is to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help. We share this day with our friends, family, and others who have suffered a loss of a loved one by suicide and as NAMI New Jersey says, “You are not alone.”
Featured Event Highlights:
– Guest Speakers
– Exhibitors/Resource Tables
– Art Therapy
– Loving Message Table
– Mindfulness Activities
– Sensory Room
– Candle Lit Vigil
– Vocalist
– Light Lunch/Refreshments
Online registration for the 2024 event is now open.
Event contact: Lisa Powell, NAMI NJ Outreach Director, lpowell@naminj.org
" ...To remind us not all pain is visible. As the Governor of the state of New Jersey, I also call upon citizens, government agencies, public and private institutions, businesses and schools to recommit to increasing awareness and understanding of mental illness, reducing stigma and discrimination, and promting appropriate and accessible services for all people with mental illness..."
Partners
The Darren Clark Jr. Memorial was founded on April 5th, 2018 in memory of Darren Clark Jr., Darren passed away on January 7th, 2018, as a result of suicide due to mental illness. This foundation exist for two reasons: First, an excerpt from one of Darren’s last texts to me, “you know what would make me happy, take all the money that you spend on me and open a business that’ll help thousands of people. That would make me happy.” Secondly, the resources we share through the website and social media truly helps when coupled with the proper professional care. What it doesn’t work so great on is GRIEF. Our Goal is to decrease the number of loved ones we lose to mental illness.
NAMI New Jersey (NAMI NJ) is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. Through education, support, advocacy and public awareness programs NAMI NJ fosters understanding about mental illness, confronts stigma often associated with mental disorders, advocates for public policies that benefit those affected by mental illness, and promotes research into the causes, treatment and recovery of mental health disorders.
