Mental health fair to gather providers, resources in Iowa City

Event will host speakers, organizations to address variety of mental health intersections

Participants walk a labyrinth while reciting prayers or meditating at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church’s Sensory Fair on May 7 in Iowa City. In keeping with an outreach focus on mental health this year, the church will host Minds Matter, a mental health resource fair, on Sept. 16. (St. Andrew Presbyterian Church)

IOWA CITY — A new resource fair is aiming to show the community that mental health is not simply an issue of mind over matter.

The new fair being launched by St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Minds Matter, will bring together dozens of resources and organizations as well as speakers, activities and more to address a variety mental health concerns.

“The whole point is to let our community beyond our congregation know of the resources in our community,” said Amy Schmidt-Rundell, mission outreach coordinator for St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. “There’s always the discussion of ending stigma in mental health, and the importance of being open. We wanted to have conversations with people.”

If you go

What: Minds Matter, a mental health resource fair

When: 10 a.m to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16

Where: St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 140 Gathering Place Lane, Iowa City

Details: Connect with about 20 organizations and resources and listen to talks on various mental health topics from Laughing Laura, Leslie Carpenter and Dottie Schley

For more information: visit saintandrew-ic.org or email mission@saintandrew-ic.org

People participate in an activity to express their emotions through colors at an activity station at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church’s Sensory Fair on May 7 in Iowa City. In keeping with an outreach focus on mental health this year, the church will host Minds Matter, a mental health resource fair, on Sept. 16. (St. Andrew Presbyterian Church)

Earlier this year, St. Andrew elected to dedicate its outreach missions focus on mental health issues it was seeing become more pervasive both in the church and in the community.

“We hear all the time about the mental health of our youth, and in general in our community,” said Schmidt-Rundell.

In her own family, her children watched friends struggle and saw the aftermath of a relative die by suicide, starting the conversation of awareness.

“At the church, we’ve all seen devastation of what suicide and mental health (concerns) can do to a person or family,” said Nichole Hoffman, children’s ministries outreach coordinator for St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. “We wanted to find a way to connect as many people to as many resources as possible before it’s in crisis.”

With resource, skills, advocacy and education, attendees will find organizations and speakers that address a wide variety of mental health concerns. The church’s first mental health fair continues a theme that started earlier this year.

In May, St. Andrew kicked off the focus by walking for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and hosting a Sensory Fair to help families learn how to “find their calm” navigating the senses, through activities like Tai Chi. Other programs have collaborated with different agencies to offer youth tools like breathing techniques and scribble drawing to cope with stress, anxiety and depression .

With a focus on families, the mental health fair will have people on hand to address the unique intersections of mental health care, such as dementia or grief after losing a child. Activities and booths will aim to improve connections to services, reduce the stigma with mental health care and educate the public on how to make beneficial changes in their lives.

Future fundraisers, like the church’s Craft Fair in November, will continue to raise money in support of mental health causes.

“Mental health can be scary and intimidating. We want to do it in a way that isn’t scary, overwhelming or triggering,” said Hoffman. “We wanted people to relax and realize there’s so many resources out there for everyone. It’s a way to introduce tools for some — ways they could use things for them or their loved ones.”

And in a patchwork of mental health services across Iowa where those in need can fall through the cracks, providers will have the opportunity to connect directly with those who may be experiencing mental health challenges but are unsure how to address it.

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church members participate in a National Alliance on Mental Illness walk on May 6. In keeping with an outreach focus on mental health this year, the church will host Minds Matter, a mental health resource fair, on Sept. 16. (St. Andrew Presbyterian Church)

Attendees can hear from the following speakers:

Laughing Laura, a master teacher of Laughter Yoga, at 10:30 a.m.
Leslie Carpenter, co-founder of Iowa Mental Health Advocacy and serious brain illness advocate, at 12:30 p.m.
Dottie Schley, founding member of the I’m Glad You Stayed Project, at 2 p.m.

For more information on speakers, visit saintandrew-ic.org/mission-service/minds-matter-2023.

Attendees can connect with the following organizations and issues: