NAMI Washington County, Inc.

11/02/2026

🍂🧡 A November Full of Connection & Gratitude!

This month, we’re giving thanks for YOU—our participants, volunteers, program leaders, and community who make NAMI Washington County a place of hope and belonging. 💙

We’re serving up a helping of hope with Open Art Studio, Making Space, Teen Connections, EmpowerMEnt!, Permission to Play, and our supportive groups! 🎨🤝

There’s a place for you here, and we’re grateful to share it!

📅 Check out our November schedule!
🦃 Closed November 26–27 for Thanksgiving.

Learn more: https://www.namiwashingtonwi.org/

10/21/2026

✨ Our hearts are still glowing after such a beautiful evening! ✨

This past Saturday, nearly 200 people gathered at the beautiful Blue Lotus Center for our first Where Hope Glows event—and what a truly special night it was.

There was music in the air from The Danios and Break for Birds creativity and reflection through Natalie’s moving RELEASE & CARRY FORTH Therapeutic Arts Project, delicious food from Dastardly Dogs that everyone was raving about, refreshing beverages from Sippie Hippie, and so many wonderful raffle baskets.

One of our favorite moments was watching people gather around the campfire, toast gourmet s’mores (provided by Abstract & Title Company), share stories, reconnect with old friends, and welcome new ones. There was something incredibly heartwarming about seeing our community slow down, put away the distractions, and simply enjoy being together on a crisp autumn evening.

We closed the night with our Where Hope Glows Glow Walk across the beautiful Blue Lotus grounds. Watching the glowing trail fill with families, friends, neighbors, and supporters was a powerful reminder that no one should have to walk their mental health journey alone.

We are so grateful to the generous sponsors who helped make this evening possible:

🌟 Beacon Sponsor
Modern Woodmen

💜 Guiding Light Sponsors
Alpha Custom Apparel, LLC
Oakbrook Dental, LLC
Jackson Family Dentistry

We are also deeply thankful for the many individual and private donations that supported the event.

A special shout-out to Our Saviors Lutheran Church West Bend for bringing such a wonderful group together for the Glow Walk!

To every volunteer, board member, musician, artist, vendor, sponsor, donor, community partner, and guest who shared this evening with us: thank you. You brought the warmth, joy, kindness, and hope that made the night feel so magical.

This evening was a beautiful testament to the love and support surrounding individuals and families affected by mental illness and mental health conditions. Our community is stronger when we come together—and hope shines brighter when no one walks alone.

We hope this was only the first of many Where Hope Glows walks to come! 💚✨

10/12/2026

🎶🎶LIVE MUSIC🎶🎶 There will be two bands at NAMI Washington County's Where Hope Glows: Lighting the Way Together first-ever 3K Glow Walk on Saturday, October 17th, at Blue Lotus Center.
Brake for Birds and The Danios will be bringing the tunes, along with the good vibes to get us ready for the walk, which starts at 6:30pm. Music will start at 4:30pm! So, come join us for a wonderful night of music, art, and connection - all to support NAMI Washington County's free programming for those in our community living with or for those supporting someone who is living with a mental health condition💚

10/10/2026

🍂✨ Let’s make hope glow, Washington County! ✨🍂

Join NAMI Washington County for Where Hope Glows—a beautiful fall evening open to ALL community members! Enjoy live music, a special interactive therapeutic arts activity, delicious eats from the Dastardly Dogs food truck, extravagant raffle baskets, a gourmet s’mores bar, and much more! Most importantly, come build community connections—with friends, family, neighbors, and friends you just haven’t met yet!💚

📅 October 17, 2026
🕟 4:30–7:30 p.m.
📍 Blue Lotus Center
5501 Co Hwy M, West Bend, WI 53095

Our 3K Glow Walk takes you through the beautiful grounds of Blue Lotus Center—a peaceful opportunity to honor hope and remind one another that no one walks their mental health journey alone.

👟 Interested in joining the Glow Walk? Please register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/WI/WestBend/LightUpTheDarknessWalk

🎁 The first 40 people to register will receive a special NAMI Owala-style water bottle, and the first 100 will receive a NAMI canvas tote bag!

Whether you’re joining the walk or coming to connect with your community, we’d love to see you there. All proceeds benefit NAMI Washington County.

🍁 Tag someone you’d love to bring and share this invitation. Together, we can help hope glow!

10/07/2026

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!! 🎨 ✨

'Mindful Movers & Makers' begins next Wednesday, October 14th, and we still have a few spots open!

We’re SO excited to welcome our young artists for afternoons filled with art, movement, imagination, and creative exploration—all designed to help kids notice what their bodies and feelings are telling them and discover ways to feel more grounded and connected.

Ages 6–8 | Wednesdays, twice a month | 4:30–6 PM
October–December | NAMI Washington County Welcome Center

If you’ve been thinking about signing up, now’s the time!

Limited spots available — register using the QR code on the flyer or email [email protected]

10/06/2026

☕ A little extra tip can make a meaningful difference! 💚

NAMI Washington County will receive a portion of the tips collected at The Hub – Social Good Brew throughout October! 🎉 Every extra dollar in the tip jar supports local nonprofits, including our work in mental health education, support, and advocacy.

October 4–10 is also Mental Illness Awareness Week—a perfect time to sip, support, and show you care! Stop by The Hub, enjoy your favorite drink, and leave an extra tip to help fill that jar. 🙌

Thank you to The Hub and everyone tipping a little extra for our community. We’re grateful to be part of the good you’re brewing! ☕💚

Let's fill the tip jar for Extension Washington County, Wisconsin, Rides and Reins, Ice Age Trail Alliance - Washington/Ozaukee County Chapter, NAMI Washington County, Inc., and The Tower Heritage Center.

Each of these incredible nonprofit partners + the Volunteer Center Washington County will receive a portion of the tips collected at The Hub throughout the month of October, helping move their missions forward.

Thank you for supporting local nonprofits!

10/05/2026

🫧 Fresh starts. Bright smiles. Confident teens! 🫧

NAMI Washington County is hosting a hygiene drive for teen boys and girls—and we need your help stocking the essentials! 💚

🛒 Add a little kindness to your shopping cart and consider making a donation. Our current needs are:
🧴 Men’s & women’s deodorant
🦷 Toothpaste & toothbrushes
😁 Alcohol-free mouthwash
🛁 Men’s & women’s body wash

📍 Drop off donations at our Welcome Center:
279 S. 17th Ave., Suite 7
West Bend, WI 53095

🕙 Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Help our teens feel fresh and ready to take on the day! A few everyday essentials can be a meaningful way to show we care. ✨

📣 Share this post and help us spread the word!

10/01/2026

🍂✨ Let’s make hope glow, Washington County! ✨🍂

Join NAMI Washington County for Where Hope Glows—a beautiful fall evening open to ALL community members! Enjoy live music, a special interactive therapeutic arts activity, delicious eats from the Dastardly Dogs food truck, extravagant raffle baskets, a gourmet s’mores bar, and much more! Most importantly, come build community connections—with friends, family, neighbors, and friends you just haven’t met yet!💚

📅 October 17, 2026
🕟 4:30–7:30 p.m.
📍 Blue Lotus Center
5501 Co Hwy M, West Bend, WI 53095

Our 3K Glow Walk takes you through the beautiful grounds of Blue Lotus Center—a peaceful opportunity to honor hope and remind one another that no one walks their mental health journey alone.

👟 Interested in joining the Glow Walk? Please register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/WI/WestBend/LightUpTheDarknessWalk

🎁 The first 40 people to register will receive a special NAMI Owala-style water bottle, and the first 100 will receive a NAMI canvas tote bag!

Whether you’re joining the walk or coming to connect with your community, we’d love to see you there. All proceeds benefit NAMI Washington County.

🍁 Tag someone you’d love to bring and share this invitation. Together, we can help hope glow!

09/30/2026

💙 NAMI Washington County is on TMJ4 News! 💙

We’re incredibly grateful to TMJ4 reporter Marcus Aarsvold for shining a light on NAMI Washington County and one of our most meaningful programs—Hope Connections.

As we close out Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, this story is an important reminder that no one should have to navigate grief alone.

Hope Connections is our support group for adults who have lost someone they love to su***de. Twice each month, our Welcome Center becomes a safe and compassionate space to grieve, talk, listen, and—perhaps most importantly—connect with others who truly understand.

You can learn more about Hope Connections, and our other programs here: https://www.namiwashingtonwi.org/

A heartfelt THANK YOU to Janna Traylor and Jackie Schmoldt for the courage and vulnerability it took to share their deeply personal experiences of losing their sons, Luke and Zachary, and how Hope Connections provided understanding, support, and community during unimaginable loss.

And so much gratitude to our wonderful Hope Connections leaders—Jackie, Suzanne, and Karen—who continue to create and hold this space for our community twice each month. What you do matters more than words can express.

Watch the story on TMJ4 on the link below or on TMJ4.com.

Please WATCH. SHARE. TALK ABOUT IT. You never know who may be grieving quietly or who needs to hear that support and community are available.

Every conversation about su***de, grief, and mental health helps reduce stigma and creates a little more space for someone to reach out.

Together, we can create connection, deepen our impact, and remind our community that even in our darkest moments, there is hope—and no one has to walk through them alone.

***dePrevention ***dePreventionAwarenessMonth

New Washington County data shows where most su***des occur. Two mothers share their stories to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental health.

09/29/2026

Our Shattered & Strong workshop brought together a wonderful gathering of women for an evening of letting go, making something with our hands, and creating something new from the pieces.

We broke ceramic, shared space, laughed, reflected, and slowly turned those broken pieces into something entirely our own.

There was something powerful about watching women choose their pieces, trust the process, and see what could emerge.

A heartfelt thank you to Rachel Martin, Modern Woodmen of America for helping make this experience possible, and to every woman who showed up and made the evening what it was. We’re so grateful for a community that continues to show up and make space for one another.

Sometimes things don't go back together the way they were.

Sometimes we make something new. ✨