Mental Health awareness through fashion

Mental illness is a huge issue in our country. According to the National Institute of Mental Health " Nearly one in five adults in the US struggles with a mental illness". Many people don't find the support they need simply because they are too ashamed to share their conditions with anyone as the stigma of suffering from mental illness is still looked down upon by many in our society.

Fortunately, there are companies that are very aware of that and have taken on the challenge to support mental health awareness through fashion and the merchandise they sell. One of those companies is Ferris Built, a company built by a mother of identical twin girls who lost her business in 2020 amid the Covid Pandemic and was forced to rethink outside the box.

Ferris Built was created to promote not only mental health awareness but also to show support to mothers, women, autism and many other causes.

Imagine being able to support your cause while wearing fashionable clothing that you can wear to a party, the supermarket or even an event? Awesome, right?

But Ferris Built doesn't just sell apparels, they also have an array of other products such as mugs, wood art, stickers, buttons and much more. Everything is made right here in the beautiful USA and the wood art is actually hand made by the owner herself, Lindsey, right out of her wood shop in Seattle.

The company has also made a commitment to donate 25% of their net proceeds to four different organizations:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America, a non profit organization with the mission to promote the prevention, treatment and cure of anxiety and mood disorders, OCD and PTSD through education, practice and research.

Brain and Behavior Research foundation, a non profit organization committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research.

International Bipolar Foundation, a not for profit organization that empowers individuals living with bipolar disorder and their caregivers by providing advocacy, education, support, and awareness - fostering a caring community and stigma-free world where mental health is equitably acknowledged and treated.

Active Minds, a charitable organization that empowers students to speak openly about mental health in order to educate others and encourage help-seeking.

They have also partnered up with Every Woman Can, an organization whose mission is to bring Breast Cancer awareness, advocacy, wellness and education. Ferris Built has a whole collection filled with beautiful items, from clothes to bottles and mugs that included the organization logo.

So, when you make a purchase from Ferris Built not only are you supporting a small business, a mother of two but also supporting a great cause that gives back to people who really need the help.

Now, I was particularly drawn to their mother's day collection. As a mother of three and currently expecting my fourth child, being a mother is part of my life, it is basically my livelihood to be quite frank. Being a mother is not easy but it's also very meaningful and Ferris Built has been able to express just that through their products.

Another collection that sits very close to my heart is their Autism and Neurodiversity collection. My oldest son has been diagnosed with autism since the age of three and fortunately, living in the USA has made things much easier as there are so many organizations who are willing to help the parents as well as the child throughout this journey.

One of those organizations is the Autism Empowerment Organization, an organization devoted to enriching and empowering the lives of youth, adults and families within Autistic and Autism communities. Ferris Built has made a commitment to donate 25% of their net proceeds of their Autism and Neurodiversity collection to AEO.

I honestly could just go on and on about this company, from empowering women to donating to wonderful organizations and having everything made here in the USA, this is the type of business we all ought to support so we can continue growing as a nation and to become more humane as a society.