Mental Health Awareness Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and there are so many groups in Virginia that do incredible work for our community in this space.

One I want to recognize today is Loudoun Serenity House which champions affordable, peer-based services for people living with mental health conditions or who are on the road to recovery from substance abuse.

Serenity House started as a shared dream of two sisters, Melissa and Rachel Hinton, and they established their first recovery house in October of 2020. It has since expanded to serve so many people in our community.

This past weekend, I had the honor of joining them for their annual 5K race. I didn't run, but I did shoot the starting gun. Most importantly, we raised a lot of money, and it was a beautiful day.

We must remember that nearly one in four American adults live with mental health conditions, yet the majority do not receive the care they need. Peer-based programs have been really successful. They are a very affordable way of getting that care.

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month to everyone, and I am grateful for groups like Loudoun Serenity House.

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