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Scotty P. Inspo at John Marshall School No. 20 Scott Pendergast, from Scotty P Inspiriations, visited John Marshall School No. 20 to remind students that every experience helps shape us into stronger, more resilient individuals. We learned with the students, that brick by brick, we build our lives. Each moment—whether it’s good, bad, or challenging—is a piece of who we are. Thank you Sarah Brown and Kathy Santos, counselors at John Marshall School No. 20, for collaborating to make this presentation happen. We loved hearing Scott speak! See a clip of Scott's amazing and inspiring presentation here !   The Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation was honored to sponsor this meaningful presentation, encouraging self-growth and positive peer interactions. 💙 Summit HS Student Self-Care Fair On October 9th, The Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation had the privilege of being part of the Student Self-Care Fair, where we shared tools for mental wellness and self-care with the students. To top it off, we welcomed John Mopper from Blue Print Mental Health for an amazing Parent Wellness Night! "Breaking Free: Unmasking the Mind Control of Modern Technology on Today's Youth and How to Build Resiliency", was presented by John Mopper, LPC, to parents of Summit High School students. This insightful discussion explored the psychological impact of constant digital connectivity, its effects on mental health, academic performance, and social interactions, and offered strategies for both parents and teens to navigate these challenges. John covered everything from positive parenting skills, helicopter parenting vs. laid-back parenting, how to get kids to listen, the importance of parent self-care, and how happiness plays a role for both overachievers and underachievers. It was such a powerful conversation!   Thank you to Summit High School for these wonderful educational events! The Good Scout Award Marianne Wilson, president of the Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation, was honored to receive this prestigious award from the Boy Scouts of America. The Good Scout award is an annual award given by the Boy Scouts of America to an individual or business that exemplifies the Scout Oath and Law, and has made a lasting impact on their community. These awards are given to recipients for their: - outstanding community service - leadership to worthy organizations - respect and esteem for their colleagues We are so grateful to share this wonderful award with you all. We thank Linda Jennings for this beautiful introduction to Marianne and The Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation. We thank all of YOU who make it possible to do the successful work of the KAW Foundation with financial support, spreading the word about the foundation, participating in events and more. Thank you, thank you, thank you. October is Mental Health Awareness Month This October, we recognized Mental Health Awareness Month and continue to raise awareness, support, and compassion for those affected by mental health challenges. October 10th marked World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to advocating for accessible mental health care and encouraging open conversations worldwide. Additionally, October 6-12 was World Mental Illness Awareness Week, focusing on breaking down stigma and offering resources for those facing mental illness.   Mental health remains a critical issue, especially among young people, as we see rising numbers of mental health challenges. By promoting mental health education and sharing resources, we can build a more supportive community.   Let’s keep working together to create safe spaces and open dialogues that support mental health for everyone.

Stay up to date with the most recent work The Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation is doing! September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month This September, we recognize Suicide Prevention Awareness Month by sharing crucial information on mental health across our social media platforms.   Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among students and young people in the United States, highlighting the urgent need for mental health support and suicide prevention resources in schools and communities. By spreading awareness and sharing mental health statistics, we can encourage important conversations and help end the stigma.   Let’s continue working together to raise awareness and support mental health for everyone! The Berkeley Heights 5K Race For Mental Health The Berkeley Heights 5K Race for Mental Health was a fantastic success, drawing 620 participants in support of the foundation's mission to bring mental health resources to K-12 schools. The race was full of energy, with runners and walkers navigating the course through the vibrant Berkeley Heights community. We emphasized the importance of mental health awareness and how the foundation’s efforts are making a significant impact on students' lives.   The race saw impressive performances, with Christian Cadmus finishing first in 17:17, Benoit Luethy taking second with 18:07, and David Chen securing third place in 19:46. Amanda Occhipinti led the female category, finishing in 20:25 and placing sixth overall. For more race results click here .   In addition to the race, the event featured raffles, community support, and a celebration of the foundation's ongoing commitment to mental health advocacy. It was a day of togetherness, raising awareness, and fun.   We are so thankful to everyone who made this event come together and everyone who came, supported, and enjoyed themselves. The foundation is already looking forward to next year’s race!   Upcoming Events

On August 15th, we sponsored and attended a live webinar for Wilson Memorial Church (Watchung, NJ) featuring mental health professional Jon Mattleman, who discussed strategies for understanding and dealing with anxiety in youth and young adults. The session was interactive, with participants asking questions and sharing their experiences. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of open dialogue about anxiety.   We are so grateful to have brought together so many people from many different places with our webinar! Please join us for the 27th Annual Berkeley Heights 5K Race and Fitness Walk, now sponsored by the Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation, which supports Mental Health programs for students in grades K-12 in our communities. It's sure to be another successful community event! The Race and Fitness Walk will be held on Sunday, September 15th, 2024, 9:30 am at Veterans Memorial Park in Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922. We invite you to register early (convenient online registration is now open), which guarantees a race t-shirt and other giveaways. We can't wait!   Our special day will include the following: * A 5-Kilometer road-race sanctioned and certified by the USA Track and Field Association * A 1.5 Mile fitness walk for non-runners and families * A fun Tot-Trot * DJ and refreshments at Veterans Memorial Park * Art and animal therapy * Caricaturist, sensory activity tables, and more * Custom-designed race tee shirts for all pre-registered racers and walkers, along with other race “goodies” * Race officially timed with Chronotrack B-tags by Compuscore (Results posted on race day at Veterans Memorial Field and on the web) * Awards for top male and female finishers overall and in various age groups We're pleased to announce the sponsors of the BH 5K Race For Mental Health. Please support those, who support us! Diamond Level Fieldhouse400 Grain & Cane JenCap Holdings, LLC Delicious Heights Party With Us Lavender And Sage Platinum Sponsor Bayonne Dry Dock Suburban Disposal Union County Exotic Sweets Bristol Meyers Squibb The Handyman 4-U and More LLC Craft Bagel Gold Sponsor Bridgehaven Smith Chiropractic Peace of Mind Goodman's Jag One Lisa Kulback Group Lawrence Law James F Andrew, CPA Martial Arts for Life Victoria Carter Citizens Bank Tap Into Diamond Hill Montessori School Berkeley Heights Physical Therapy Massage Envy GameChanger Silver Sponsor Don Tre Driving School Rotary Club Robinwood Inc. Yoga Six Orange Theory Minding Your Mind CET Heating & Air Conditioning - 654 Springfield Ave #4, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 Paladin Amusements, Inc. Two Fields Bakery Elefante Music School for the Performing Arts Pearly Whites The Tee Bag - 413 Springfield Ave, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922

This July we honored Minority Mental Health Month by sharing facts and statistics on minority mental health through our Instagram and Facebook pages. Mental health can affect all people regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. Share some of these mental health statistics with someone you know to spread awareness about the importance of mental health for all. We are thrilled we got to visit Girl Scout camp this month! Connie Palmer, LCSW, from Therapeutic Learning Center gave the presentation Girl Scouts & Mental Health. This was a fun and interactive way to work towards the Science of Happiness badge.   Marianne, from the Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation had the opportunity to talk to the cadettes about ways to find happiness when life hands you the unexpected. Number one was explaining how happiness and joy can be found in helping others. Number two was teaching the 5x5 message. The girls were a captive audience and hopefully in earning their Science of Happiness Badge, they learned some good tips on self-empowerment and kindness. We wrapped the presentation up by leaving the girls with positive affirmation bracelets to remind them of just how special they are. Thank you Girl Scouts and Mckenzie Alvarez  for this amazing opportunity! 🩵 We are honored to be hosting The Berkeley Heights 5K Race & Fitness Walk For Mental Health on September 15, 2024. This will be the 27th Annual Berkeley Heights 5K Race! The Race and Fitness Walk will be held on Sunday, September 15th, 2024, 9:30 am at Veterans Memorial Park in Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922. We invite you to register early  which guarantees a race t-shirt and other giveaways. Our special day will include a 5-Kilometer road-race sanctioned and certified by the USA Track and Field Association, a 1.5 Mile fitness walk for non-runners and families, a fun Tot-Trot for the little ones, a DJ and refreshments, art and animal therapy, a caricaturist, sensory activity tables, custom-designed race tee shirts for all pre-registered racers and walkers, and more! The race is officially timed with Chronotrack B-tags by Compuscore and the results will be posted on race day at Veterans Memorial Field as well as on the web. Additionally, there will be awards for top male and female finishers overall and in various age groups. We can't wait!

The annual Berkeley Heights Block Party was a blast! The Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation set up a booth where sensory tools and other activities for all ages were provided, also pictured is the Mayor's Mental Health Awareness Committee where we provided similar sensory tools for children to enjoy. This was an amazing opportunity to reach the Berkeley Heights community and share our mission of raising awareness for mental health and improving students' access to mental health resources.   We put out this awesome, interactive whiteboard for Race Amity Day and BH Block party! If you look closely and read what people said makes them happy, it's pretty much the same across the board. Also thinking about how you can make others happy is a good way to remind people to act upon it! What a fun day we had participating in Race Amity Day. Race Amity Day celebrates and fosters the unity between different races and cultures. Mental health is not discriminatory. It affects everyone. It doesn't matter your race, your culture or whatever.....the importance of good mental health is the mission of the KAW Foundation. We are on a mission to help all our youth by educating them on mental health and the importance of positive coping skills and building resilience.     Thank you Peace of Mind Yoga, Wellness, and Counseling Center, Summit Area YMCA, Berkeley Heights Diversity Council, New Providence Diversity Council, and Springfield Unity Project for coming together to create a meaningful day for all! The Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation had the opportunity to attend the Union County Pride Color Run. We were so happy to be able to provide the colored powder for the event! We had a wonderful time at the Wilson Memorial Church Flea Market on June 1. Here we shared a variety of sensory tools for coping with stress and anxiety. We were able to share our mission of reaching and teaching students about mental health. On June 17 we celebrate Kimmy's birthday and remember how much she cared for others and wanted to help those with mental health struggles. She firmly believed and genuinely cared that those who face mental health challenges should be encouraged to feel comfortable with opening up about their feelings and treated with non-judgment, support, and compassion. She was a beautiful person inside and out and her legacy continues through the KAW Foundation.

This Mental Health Awareness Month the Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation had so much fun participating in The Cranford Wellness Fair .  This event provided students with access to a variety of mental health resources, instruction, and support throughout the community.   This event gave us an exciting opportunity to connect with students in person and online! Our table consisted of a fun prize wheel you got the chance to spin and win a prize from by following us on Instagram . Prizes included a gorgeous selection of different bracelets in support of mental health. Just some of the featured bracelets boasted messages like you are strong, shine on, peace, and be you. The KAW Foundation successfully implemented a Trauma-Focused Therapy Program for Individuals at North Plainfield High School as well as in the Berkeley Heights and Summit YMCA. This new program "Pathway To Peace" is run by licensed clinical social worker, Kris Silvestry from Peace of Mind Yoga, Counseling, & Wellness Center of Berkeley Heights. Six students have been able to partake in this new mental health wellness program and over 15 sessions have taken place already!   We are excited to expand our outreach with this program! Contact us at kawfoundation@gmail.com  if you're interested in bringing a program like this to your school. We are ecstatic to have brought Lisa Hyman from Elefante Music of New Providence to lead the 4th and 5th grade girl scouts through a series of improv related activities, teaching them importance of listening, never making assumptions about others and being confident in expressing yourself. The lessons learned from these mental health related activities will go towards Knowing My Emotions badge. We love getting to work with the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ and deeply admire their commitment to mental health education. The foundation is so fortunate to have found amazing mental health professionals and organizations to work with so we can offer a variety of programs to the scouts! In honor of mental health awareness month Lawton C Johnson Summit Middle School hosted a wellness day for students on May 16. The wellness day included activities such as yoga, journaling, and jewelry making.  The Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation visited and provided supplies for creating stress balls. We also provided fun stress coping tools such as therapy dough, anti-anxiety rings, positive affirmation bracelets, fidget spinners, and more.   We are so pleased to have had the opportunity to reach the middle school students at LCJSMS! Are you having a wellness day or mental health event at your school? Reach out  to get The Kimberly Anne Wilson involved. Union County Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded, Union County Commissioner Vice-Chairwoman Lourdes Leon and the rest of our Commissioner Board proudly honored Marianne Wilson of the Kimberly Anne Wilson Foundation, in recognition of the foundation's efforts in providing in-school support to students who are struggling with mental health challenges.Mental health awareness is critical in the world right now, especially for our students of all ages. We want them to learn to address their mental health, manage it, and develop healthy coping skills.   Thank you Union County for shining a light on the KAW Foundation this Mental Health Awareness Month. 💚