Wheeling Food Truck Festival Aims To Help Raise Mental Health Awareness

Jack’s Snacks is one of the food trucks planned for the Wheeling Food Truck Festival, slated noon to 5 p.m. May 13 at Wheeling Heritage Port.

WHEELING – A new food truck festival slated for May 13 in Wheeling aims to help raise awareness of mental health with the goal of saving lives.

The Wheeling Food Truck Festival is slated from noon to 5 p.m. May 13 at Heritage Port.

Presented by The Health Plan, proceeds from the festival will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Wheeling.

The event promises to have “some of the best food” in the Wheeling area. It will be held rain or shine.

Julie Gomez, executive director of NAMI Greater Wheeling, said NAMI partnering with the Health Plan is a way to attract more people to the event and in turn provide more awareness regarding mental health.

photo by: Photo provided

The Jakery is one of the food vendors slated to participate in the Wheeling Food Truck Festival, slated noon to 5 p.m. May 13 at Wheeling Heritage Port.

“We wanted to raise awareness of mental health in a setting that people feel comfortable and to hit the general public,” Gomez said of the festival.

She said, to date, about 10 different food vendors or trucks are expected to participate. Food vendors interested in participating can call Gomez at 304-238-8277 or 304-905-0635.

According to information from NAMI, one in five people live with a mental health condition, but only 45% of adults and 51% of youth get treatment. And the average delay between the onset of symptoms is 11 years.

That, NAMI said, increases the likelihood that those who have a delay in treatment or don’t receive treatment at all will experience a mental health crisis.

“Suicide, which is one potential mental health crisis, is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34,” according to NAMI. “The Health Plan and NAMI Greater Wheeling want to change these statistics by holding an outreach event featuring local area food trucks to raise awareness for mental health at our first ever Wheeling Food Truck Festival in May for Mental Health Awareness Month.”

Around 25 different mental health-related organizations will have tents set up that day for people to visit and receive information. Some of the anticipated local food vendors will include River City Restaurant, Jackery, Jack’s Snacks and Ideal Provisions. Johnny O will provide music for the day.

Two of NAMI’s other upcoming events for Mental Health Awareness Month in May include:

— NAMI guest speaker Reed Byers at 5 p.m. May 8 at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling. Byers is a certified peer recovery support specialist, mental health advocate and consultant. Byers is a former Parkersburg resident who now lives in Charleston, W.Va.

— NAMI’s annual Rummage Sale starting at 8 a.m. until about 11:30 a.m. May 20 at First Christian Church, 1343 National Road, Wheeling. Those who would like to donate items can do so between 4:30-5:30 p.m. May 19.

Gomez said if the event goes well NAMI hopes to hold it annually and make it a larger festival.

Jack’s Snacks is one of the food trucks planned for the Wheeling Food Truck Festival, slated noon to 5 p.m. May 13 at Wheeling Heritage Port.

The Jakery is one of the food vendors slated to participate in the Wheeling Food Truck Festival, slated noon to 5 p.m. May 13 at Wheeling Heritage Port.

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