Meet Napa Valley Alumni and Brave Champion Michelle Saint-Germain!

May 24, 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I’m a retired teacher living on a fixed income. Why then do I send $25 every month to This Is My Brave?

First, participating in the Napa show in 2017 changed my life. For the first time, I was acknowledged for who I am, not in spite of my mental illness, but because I chose to speak up about it.

For years, I felt I had to hide an important part of me from family, friends, and especially colleagues at work. But now I can accept myself as a whole human being, whether riding with my bicycle club or playing with my new puppy Kiah or telling people about This Is My Brave.

Second, participants in This Is My Brave shows receive the highest professional assistance in terms of writing, performance, and support, with all costs covered by This Is My Brave. This support gives us the confidence—many for the very first time—to speak in public about such a personal but vitally important issue.

Finally, I strongly believe that This Is My Brave is making a difference in easing the stigma so long attached to mental illness. You may think this is an issue that doesn’t touch you, but I’m willing to bet there is someone you know who could really use the support of This Is My Brave. When, at the end of the Napa show, the audience was asked to stand if they had any personal experience with someone dealing with a mental illness, no one remained seated, giving the show a standing ovation.

Won’t you join me in making this opportunity accessible to as many people as possible? Every donation matters, no matter how small, and taking the additional step and becoming a Brave Champion helps This Is My Brave know that you can be counted on for a sustained contribution over time. Thank you so much.

~Michelle Saint-Germain
Brave Champion and Storyteller, This Is My Brave The Show – Napa Valley, 2017

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