OUR STORY

How it all started

In 2017, a group of like-minded peers came together to form Heads Up for Harry (HU4H) in memory of our late friend Harrison. Our goal is to raise awareness of mental illness in young adults, and work to erase the stigma commonly associated with depression and other mental ill-health.

What We have DONE

In support of mental health awareness, we hold various fund raisers to support both programming and operations of the organization. Through a combination of event fundraisers and grassroots outreach efforts, we raise approximately $50K annually; all while maintaining 501(c)(3) status.

In 2018, we hosted National Youth Mental Health Advocate, and internationally renowned public speaker, Ross Szabo, reaching over 1,000 people, providing a powerful message about the positivity of mental health and the stigma that currently surrounds it.

In 2019 and early 2020, we continued to both bring speakers to and speak on Heads up for Harry - led panels at local high schools in Atlanta. Our speakers bring personal stories and experiences of their journey in supporting their own mental health as well as how to support the same in family and friends. After the COVID-19 pandemic began, we launched a summer social media campaign and co-hosted a virtual webinar with the Hillside Atlanta Foundation to address back to school readiness and mental health. These two projects allowed us to continue delivering important mental health messages and stay engaged with young adults and their families despite social distancing and virtual learning.

WhERE WE are going

Partner with community leaders

In the year ahead, we hope to work with established organizations looking to expand their mental health programming among the young adults and families they serve. With mental health being an important topic in today’s world, more organizations are looking to make mental health programming a part of their work, and Heads up for Harry is a willing partner for the community.

celebrate diversity of thought and perspective

Mental health affects everyone differently. Because it is such an individual experience, we believe that having more diverse perspectives within our organization will allow us to better serve various communities across the state. Thus, Heads Up for Harry is looking to build a diverse volunteer and committee base to help us better understand the communities we serve as well as reach a wider audience of young adults and adolescents.

Expand engagements to underserved communities in georgia

Mental health disproportionately impacts racial and sexual minorities as well as lower income families. As Heads Up for Harry continues to expand our programs and grow our organization, it is our goal to increase outreach and engagement with the most underserved and at-risk communities. In the coming years we hope to expand our panels and programs to public schools and engage with different mental health organizations across the city and state.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

If you’d like to get involved or know of a way that we can impact your local community, we would love to hear from you! We are seeking partners to co-create more diverse programming. Please contact us at Info@HeadsUpForHarry.org.