Legacy Collective Announces Campaign to Raise Funding for Mental Health Services in the Black Community

Benefiting Breakthrough and Eustress Inc.

News provided by

Jan 19, 2021, 08:38 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Legacy Collective, a giving community dedicated to funding nonprofits addressing systemic issues with sustainable, innovative solutions, today announces a giving campaign to raise money for mental health services in the Black community. Funds raised will benefit Breakthrough and Eustress Inc. Donors who would like to give to this cause can do so on the Legacy Collective web site by making a one-time donation to the 100 Campaign.

Breakthrough partners with those affected by poverty to build connections, develop skills and open doors of opportunity in East Garfield Park, a predominantly Black neighborhood on the west side of Chicago. In 2020, Breakthrough served more than 150 women with services including psychotherapy, 1:1 coaching, and group therapy, and referrals to medical, mental health, and dental care. To learn more about Breakthrough and their response during the COVID-19 crisis, watch their video titled, "Keeping the Doors Open".

Eustress Inc. was born out of the desire to bring awareness to the importance of acknowledging, improving and preserving mental health, a topic often marked by stigma and denial, particularly in the Black community. Eustress Inc. provides mental health management and coping mechanisms to empower people to take control of their mental health and find sources of eustress.

According to a recent survey from the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing. The NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) states that "COVID-19 disproportionately impacts African-American families and their mental health due to systemic racism, which intensifies the adverse effects of the social determinants of mental health." NCBI recommends that "Programs tailored towards reducing the disproportionate detrimental effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of African Americans need to be culturally appropriate and consider the nuances of systemic racism, discrimination, and other institutionalized biases."

"The Black community has been deeply impacted not only by the race-related health inequities of COVID-19, but also by the trauma caused from the fight against racial inequality and injustice," says Erin Arnheim, CEO of Legacy Collective. "Our Black communities are in great need of mental health services to work through the trauma. However, oftentimes these services are expensive and inaccessible. The Legacy Collective donor community is coming together to fund mental health services for men, women and youth to help ease the burden of the cost as well as raise awareness of this great need."

The Legacy Collective 100 Campaign will fund five grants this year specifically focused on assisting organizations that engage, support and empower families that have been economically and emotionally impacted by the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented social issues, including a rise in mental health needs. This grant represents the first of the five grants being given.

"Therapy literally saved my life this year. None of us could have planned the toll that 2020 has taken on all of us in some way, shape, or form," says Candace Collins, co-host of the Legacy Collective podcast, "Elevating Their Impact". "Had I not had someone asking me the hard questions, to process my day-to-day out loud, cry within my most broken states and it be ok - I don't know where I would be. While my panic attack was one of the scariest things to ever happen to me, I am thankful that it opened my eyes to a piece of my life that I was ignoring and needed care and attention. I suffered in silence for so long, not anymore. And the more I've shared my story, the more I am learning I am not alone." Read more about Candace's journey here.

About Legacy Collective
Legacy Collective works to engage systemic problems related to social issues by resourcing what we believe to be the most innovative efforts and funding the most critical projects. Follow Legacy Collective online: