Rocks for Hope

Eleanor Togneri

May 13, 2021

“If one person sees hope out of the darkness with Rocks for Hope, then all the work has been worth it.”

~ Bonnie Anne Fulghum

Executive Director of MHA – Aiken

The mission of Mental Health America of Aiken County is to serve as an advocate and a community resource by promoting positive mental health in Aiken. May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

MHA Aiken County, formerly known as Mental Health Association of Aiken County, has played a vital role in the community since 1967. We are an affiliate of Mental Health America and work closely with MHA South Carolina. With more than 320 affiliates nationwide, Mental Health America works to improve the mental health of all Americans through advocacy, education, research, and service, especially for the 54 million individuals with mental disorders.

The fact is that millions of Americans live with a mental illness. During the month of May, the entire nation comes together to raise awareness of mental health issues, fight the stigmas, and educate the public through National Mental Health Awareness Month. The Rocks for Hope event is meant to shine a light on these issues.

Rocks for Hope in Aiken begins May 1 and runs until May 31. Mental Health America of Aiken County teamed up with local businesses around Aiken to hide rocks with messages of hope within the downtown shopping district, the Odell Weeks Park, and Hopelands Gardens. Anchored Youth Group, a local youth group from Grace Covenant Church of God, helped paint the rocks with uplifting messages.

We encourage individuals within the community to go out and hunt for the rocks for hope. When you find a rock, we ask that you take a photo of the front and back and then post your photos to our Facebook page at Facebook.com/MHAofAikenCounty. Then please leave the rock for others to find. The first three individuals who find 50 rocks will receive a gift certificate from a business in downtown Aiken. Our goal is to bring awareness about mental health to our community while offering an event the whole family can enjoy.

The Mental Health America of Aiken County team has been receiving a higher volume of calls about suicide since COVID-19 began. Through the help of grants, the MHA Aiken team is able to keep the phone lines open 24/7 for individuals who need to talk. Through the Rocks for Hope program, the goal is to provide a fun way to give people the hope they so desperately need to be able to talk and learn about positive mental health.

Anxiety and depression are the top mental health issues facing Americans today. We try to provide ways for people to de-stress and to give them tools to help combat their concerns about what is happening in the world today. One in five people suffer with these issues, which can cause other health problems as well.

The Rocks for Hope program does not cost participants anything except the time it takes to have fun hunting and posting the rocks they find hidden all around Aiken. Many of our local businesses have been hit hard in the past year, so we wanted to encourage visits to downtown. Many of the rocks can be found in the downtown Aiken shopping area. You will also find them when you visit Odell Weeks or when you stroll through the beautiful grounds of Hopelands Gardens.

During this special month, I hope that you will reach out to someone you know who may be struggling with mental health issues. The last year has been difficult — many could use a kind word, a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold.

For more information about MHA Aiken see our website MHA-Aiken.org. There you will find information about our Welcome Baby, Nurture Home, and Don’t Duck programs and our Lifesavers Club. MHA Aiken is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations and memberships are tax deductible. We are a partnering and funded agency of United Way of Aiken County and rely heavily on grant funding, corporate and private donations. If you would like to donate or volunteer, we would be delighted to hear from you! Contact us through our website or Facebook.com/MHAofAikenCounty, or reach out to us at 803.641.4164.

Don’t suffer alone — we are here when you need us!

Eleanor Togneri

Eleanor Togneri is the owner of Business ExSellence, Consulting Services and Employee Training. She has over 35 years experience in the business world. In addition to the WIN group she manages a group for business men and women called BEN that has a network lunch each month at Woodside Plantation Country Club. She offers Lunch and Learn sessions on soft skills eight times a year in Aiken as well as custom classes for area businesses.

Eleanor Togneri

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