CHICAGO – For a woman from Chicago, providing mental health care directly to those who needed it has been a mission of a decade – now she does it with a pink van and a powerful message of hope.
What we know:
With flowers, balloons and a pink van, compassion by the street aims to provide women with advice, intervention and plea accessible.
Inside the van, comfortable seats and a soothing decor create a space of mobile well-being unlike any other.
“Today, we are starting compassion on board. This has been work in progress for almost three years,” said founder Sarah Taylor, who is also an approved social worker.
With four clinicians at hand, the participants were able to stop for sessions of 15 minutes to unload, listen, reassess and heal. All services and resources are offered free of charge.
“Today, we simply show the community that we are here, capable of mobilizing, showing our services and showing a little who it is and what it is,” said Kris Christian, with Chicago French Press.
The unit of support for mobile mental health is an original idea of Taylor, designed to offer mental health care, a plea of domestic violence and emotional support tools in Chicago.
The team hopes to bring the van to several districts throughout the city.
Kris Christian, founder of Chicago French Press – a premium coffee and tea provider – collaborates with the project.
“To be a pioneer in this space and collaborate together by simply providing coffee, tea, support – sometimes that’s all you need to improve someone else’s day,” said Taylor.
The van was parked outside the village dispensary in Bucktown on Saturday.
What is the next step:
With May marking the national month of awareness of mental health, the team behind compassion by the edge hopes to inspire healing and strengthen the city’s communities.
For more information, visit yosoyella.org.