At NAMI Fairbanks, we are deeply grateful to be one of the organizations supported through Pick.Click.Give. each year. Because of you, your generosity continues to make a real and lasting difference for individuals and families in the Fairbanks area who are navigating mental health challenges.

What Is Pick.Click.Give.?

Pick.Click.Give. is Alaska’s statewide charitable giving program that allows you to donate part—or all—of your Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend to eligible Alaska nonprofits when you apply online.

Donations are made in $25 increments, are tax-deductible, and cost nothing upfront. It’s an easy way to make a lasting local impact with a few simple clicks.

Your Pick.Click.Give. Support Makes a Difference

Each year, donations received through Pick.Click.Give. help sustain the programs and services our community relies on most. These gifts have helped us:

• Offer free education classes for families and caregivers
• Provide support groups where people feel seen, heard, and understood
• Expand mental health awareness for youth and young adults
• Strengthen local outreach and advocacy efforts

Your gift helps ensure that no one in our community has to navigate mental health challenges alone.

Thank You for Giving Where You Live

If you’ve chosen NAMI Fairbanks through Pick.Click.Give. in the past, thank you. Your support has helped ensure that mental health resources remain accessible, local, and rooted in compassion. We see the impact of your generosity in full classrooms, supportive conversations, and families who no longer feel alone.

And if you’re applying for your PFD this year and planning to Pick.Click.Give. again, we invite you to keep NAMI Fairbanks in mind.

How to Give to NAMI Fairbanks Through Pick.Click.Give.

When you apply for your Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, simply:

1. Select Pick.Click.Give.
2. Search for NAMI Fairbanks
3. Choose your donation amount and submit

That’s it. In just a few minutes, you’ve made a meaningful investment in mental health for our community.

Every Gift Makes a Difference

Whether you give $25 or more, your participation matters. Pick.Click.Give. is a reminder that when Alaskans care for one another, meaningful change follows. We are honored to be part of your charitable choices and thankful for the trust you place in NAMI Fairbanks year after year.

Help Us Spread the Word

You can help amplify this impact by sharing this opportunity with friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors. A simple reminder during this PFD season can make all the difference.

Together, we can turn our PFDs into compassion, connection, and hope.

Pick. Click. Give.
Choose NAMI Fairbanks.
Because mental health matters—right here at home.

The post Support NAMI Fairbanks Through Pick.Click.Give. appeared first on NAMI Fairbanks.

When mental illness enters a family, it changes routines, relationships, and expectations. You may find yourself juggling appointments, managing unpredictable behavior, or walking on eggshells to avoid triggering anxiety or conflict. It’s common to feel frustration, fear, confusion, grief, or even guilt—especially when you don’t have the tools or information you need.

And while you may show up every day with love and good intentions, you may also feel alone.
But you don’t have to.

Introducing NAMI Family-to-Family

NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, research-based education program created specifically for family members, partners, and caregivers of someone living with a mental health condition. It’s taught by people who have walked this path—not by clinical professionals, but by family members who truly get it.

Over the course of the program, you’ll learn:

• What mental health diagnoses mean—and what they don’t
• How treatment works, including medications and therapies
• Communication and problem-solving strategies that help everyone feel heard
• How to navigate crisis situations and advocate confidently
• The importance of boundaries, self-care, and long-term resilience

But perhaps the most meaningful part isn’t found in the curriculum—it’s found in the connection. For many people, the first night feels like a weight lifting: “These people understand. I’m not alone.”

Why This Matters

Mental illness can make family life unpredictable. One day your loved one may seem motivated and hopeful; the next, small tasks may feel impossible to them. You may struggle to separate the person you love from the symptoms they’re experiencing. You may wonder if you should step in, step back, or do both simultaneously.

These challenges are real—and you deserve support, too.

Taking NAMI Family-to-Family doesn’t mean you’re failing or unsure. It means you are strong enough to learn, to grow, and to show up more effectively—for your loved one and for yourself.

Hope and Help Are Within Reach

Participants often share that after completing the class, they feel:

• Less overwhelmed
• More informed
• More confident
• More hopeful
• More connected

Some even describe the experience as the moment everything finally started to make sense.

Your Journey Doesn’t Have to Feel So Heavy

If you are tired of guessing, worried you might be doing the wrong thing, or simply longing to talk to others who understand—this course is for you.

Registration is now open for the upcoming in-person NAMI Family-to-Family class offered by NAMI Fairbanks. The class is completely free, and space is limited.

You’ve been supporting your loved one.
Now it’s time to support you.

👉 Pre-register here—and take the next step toward clarity, connection, and hope. Click the link or call 907-456-4704.

The post When Someone You Love Is Struggling: Why You Don’t Have to Navigate Mental Illness Alone appeared first on NAMI Fairbanks.

NAMI Fairbanks is answering the call to address teen suicide among our youth. We plan to provide NAMI Ending the Silence presentations in our schools that will help destigmatize and bring awareness to mental health for middle and high school students, parents, and staff.

Alaska ranks #2 in the nation for suicides per capita. In ages 10-24, suicide is the second leading cause of death, according to the CDC. In 2021, 8,000 Alaskans aged 12-17 had depression. Of those, 63% did not receive any care. See the statistical data sheets from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and NAMI below. 

Community Concern

When the Golden Heart Rotary Club of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks Wellness Coalition approached us to find out what programs we offer that address teen suicide, we knew we had to respond with the NAMI Ending the Silence program. It is evidence-based with research showing that this program changes middle and high school students’ knowledge and attitudes toward mental health conditions and toward seeking help.

What is NAMI Ending the Silence?

NAMI Ending the Silence is a prevention and early intervention presentation that engages youth, school staff, and families in a discussion about mental health. It is available free for 3 audiences: students, families, and school staff.

As a tool in reducing and preventing teen suicide, the presentations equip students, staff, and parents to know the warning signs, coping strategies, and how to help each other. The information is presented by a trained team consisting of a young adult (18-35) with a mental health condition and an adult with a mental health condition or family member of a person who has a mental health condition. Audiences learn that it is okay to talk about their own mental health and how to get help. 

Young Adult and Family Member Volunteers Wanted

NAMI Fairbanks is seeking young adult and family member volunteers who are passionate about helping youth and their families, and want to receive the free training that NAMI offers to become a presenter for this program. Volunteers will be trained to deliver high-quality presentations to local schools, youth-serving agencies, staff, and parents.

By educating our local youth on how to advocate for their mental well-being, destigmatizing mental illness, and providing a team approach that includes parents and school staff, we will see more of our young people reaching out for the care they need. We can strengthen our youth to lead healthy fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares.

Youth Taking Action

The North Pole Alaska Adventure LEOs are no strangers to seeing mental illness affect their peers. They are the youth arm of the North Pole Lions Club and they participate in service projects to benefit their community. In May, they organized a Mental Health Awareness 5K Run and donated the funds raised to NAMI Fairbanks. When they heard about the NAMI Ending the Silence program, the LEOs jumped on board with their support and agreed to help with creating a promotional video.

Contact NAMI Fairbanks

NAMI Fairbanks is responding to the community’s interest in helping our youth develop their skills in identifying mental health issues, how to openly talk about them, and how to get help for themselves and their peers through this youth program. Please call 907-456-4704 if you are interested in becoming trained as a Young Adult of Family Member presenter, or if you would like to have NAMI Ending the Silence in your school. You can also complete the Volunteer Interest Form and submit it by clicking the button below.

The post Call for Volunteers for Youth Suicide Prevention and Awareness appeared first on NAMI Fairbanks.

If you’ve ever answered your phone and heard the panicked voice of your son or daughter on the other end saying that they are dying, or someone is trying to hurt them, you know the fear and feeling of helplessness that grips a parent’s heart during a time like this. How many times I have answered the phone at NAMI to hear a panicked parent, desperate to have a solution that will help their son or daughter climb out of this darkness?

Often the parent or friend is at their wits end, having tried everything they could think of, but the situation remained unchanged. If this describes you, I want you to know one thing: You Are Not Alone!

The first time I went down this road with my family member, I had NO IDEA that there was an army of people who had already traveled before me. Because of their experiences and the results of their advocacy, there was a system of help in place for my family member, here, in Fairbanks, Alaska!

Know What to Do

NAMI Fairbanks has a long, 39-year legacy of paving the way for families and individuals who experience mental illness in the Interior. Our goal to equip families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors to know how to help someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis. Similar to knowing how to perform CPR in an emergency situation, we should all strive to know how to identify when someone is in mental distress and who to call for help.

What’s the Big Deal?

Approximately 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. It affects all of us, whether at our workplace, school, or place of worship. We know someone who is silently struggling, afraid to ask for help because of the deep stigma associated with mental illness. It is time to band together, show the true heart of Fairbanks, and Stand Together for Mental Health. Let us uphold one another. Do not let our brother fall. Only when we look after each other, with concern and compassion, can we be strong as a community!

Is Change Really Possible?

Thanks to the many voices of NAMI advocacy and the collaborative efforts of our caring community, there is a system of mental health crisis response that is being implemented in Fairbanks. When you become a member of NAMI Fairbanks, you join your voice with others who are moving hearts and minds to create policy changes that improve the lives of people affected by mental health conditions.

Become a member of NAMI Fairbanks. Arm yourself with knowledge and educate yourself about mental illness. Refuse to look away. Lock arms together in solidarity to break down the walls of stigma. Lift each other up and make Hope and Recovery attainable for all of Fairbanks and the Interior.

Reach Out For Help

Call the NAMI Fairbanks office 907-456-4704

Participate in support groups and classes

The post Equipping Families appeared first on NAMI Fairbanks.