Jacksonville, Florida – A new mural was unveiled on Jacksonville’s Eastside on Saturday to raise awareness about mental health and the resources available to the community.
The OutEast mural is located on the side of the Police Athletic League (JaxPAL) building on Franklin Street.
This colorful piece of art features images of children and the words “Keep Grow, Inspire, Believe.” It was drawn by heart space art.
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Nirhya Anderson, a participant in the PAL program, said, “I like the phrase “keep growing.”” “I love bounce houses and I’m very happy.”
The unveiling of this art was done in collaboration with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, PAL, and Hearts 4 Minds, Inc., an organization that works to break down the stigma of mental health.
“Hearts 4 Minds began over six years ago on the first anniversary of my son Alex’s death,” said Hearts 4 Minds founder Cheryl Johnson. “He passed away at the age of 22. He was battling depression and anxiety.”
The mural aims to raise awareness of mental health and the resources available to the community.
To find out what they are, scan the QR code on the picture and you will be redirected to this page. Website.
LaShonda Randolph, PAL’s program manager, helped organize Saturday’s event and said the mural will be beneficial to the community.
“Well, it’s special to me because this is my community as well,” Randolph said. “What it means to me is helping children understand their mental health, increase community cohesion, love peace and have hope.”
Sheriff TK Waters also attended the unveiling ceremony. While there, he spoke about how mental health issues affected someone in his family in 2018, and how it took him a long time to come to terms with it because of the stigma associated with it.
“When you’re dealing with hardship, when you’re struggling with things, it’s good to talk to people,” said Sheriff Waters. “Professionals are people who can help you deal with those issues and thoughts. And I would say, in the Black community and in other communities, there’s no need to be ashamed.”
At the mural unveiling on Saturday, Pal It was announced that a baseball field would be built in the area. It will be located on their property and is expected to be operational next spring.
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