May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time designated to recognize and raise awareness to reduce the stigma associated with behavioral and mental health issues. What better time to recognize local business owner Nichole Sargent’s Southpaw Packing Company of Raymond that was recently honored as the recipient of the C.A.L. ME Award. The acronym stands for “Caring About Lives in Maine” and aims to recognize those who advocate for mental health.
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| Nichole Sargent of the Southpaw Packing Company of Raymond, left, was recently honored as the recipient of the C.A.L. ME (Caring About Lives in Maine) Award by Hannah Longley, Clinical Director of Advocacy and Crisis Interventions with NAMI Maine. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
The NAMI Maine website lists their mission and vision providing advocacy, education, and support so that all individuals, families, and communities affected by mental illness can live fulfilling lives. NAMI Maine envisions a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares about mental health.
A 30-year veteran in the health and human services field, Sargent realized the need for mental health awareness and knew she had the skillset to do something really powerful.
“We saw an increase in suicidal deaths around us, especially males,” Sargent said. “I decided to reach out to NAMI because we’ve got to do something.
Along with her husband Leon, Sargent owns and operates Southpaw Packing Company, Windham Butcher Shop and the Southpaw Meat Market.
Sargent developed a campaign aptly named “Slicing through the Stigma.” The fundraising effort looks to increase awareness and to start conversations about encouraging mental health support and suicide prevention. The effort works in partnership with NAMI Maine.
“Our campaign right now is a raffle for Mental Health Awareness Month,” said Sargent. “We have already received a sizeable donation from Mac Medical, 100 gift cards, and over $1,000 in cash donations. So many local businesses have rallied around it. For me it is so cool to see this kind of support. I love the way the community is coming to this to support the cause. Our goal is to raise $5,000 for NAMI Maine this year.”
Sargent said that she was looking for something unique and different to get people to talk about mental health. She came up with the idea of a raffle, and one thing led to another. The funds raised will help NAMI provide education and support to the residents of Maine.
The NAMI website says that 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year and that 223,000 adults in Maine have a mental health condition. Many Mainers are not receiving the mental health support they need. Of the 65,000 adults in Maine who did not receive needed mental health care, 46.1 percent did not because of cost. About 8.1 percent of people in the state are uninsured. On average, 1 person in the U.S. dies by suicide every 11 minutes. In Maine, 270 lives were lost to suicide and 52,000 adults had thoughts of suicide in the last year.
Sargent said that the agriculture industry is a male-dominated field, and to that end, many men battle with the shame associated with mental health conditions.
“General wellness and mental health is something that I'm very passionate about,” she says. “Shortly after purchasing the slaughter and processing plant and meeting with farmers, it became shockingly evident that most did not have access to mental health services, let alone healthcare,” she wrote in an American Association of Meat Processors newsletter.
Tapping into her experience in the health and human services and agriculture fields, Sargent recognized that NAMI resources could help fill a need in the agriculture industry. Her intention is to get people more comfortable talking about mental health and she has experienced first-hand the impact of mental health struggles of farmers and friends she encounters through her profession.
Southpaw developed a Health and Wellness tab on their website, filled with valuable resources to benefit both employees and the public. The company supports mental health, offers wellness and lifestyle benefits, as well as support to locate mental health services.
Sargent explained her position in the AAMP newsletter.
“As a processor, we believe we are a central informational hub, and therefore have an opportunity to make a difference. I am merely a drop in the ocean,” she said, “but I can Slice Through the Stigma around mental health services by speaking openly about it and offering resources and a safe space for people.”
The Southpaw Packing Company website lists as its goal to promote and support an atmosphere that encourages health and wellness and working together to enhance awareness of available services and resources.
Southpaw Packing Company, Inc. is excited to share with the public a wealth of information, thanks to the dedicated support of Hannah Longley, LCSW, Clinical Director of Advocacy and Crisis Intervention of NAMI Maine. Monique Coombs of Maine Coast Fisherman also provides support, and both are recognized by Sargent for the work they do above and beyond the campaign.
Sargent has plans to launch her Slicing the Stigma campaign nationwide through another organization soon.
“It’s all about awareness; The time has come to talk about it. People need to talk about mental health,” said Sargent. <
For more details, visit the Southpaw Packing Company website’s Health and Wellness tab at https://southpawpacking.com/health-wellness/
Learn more at the NAMI Maine website at https://namimaine.org/about/# <
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