Young and not-as-young are welcome at Milton City Park and Preserve from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, for a family-friendly event focused on mental wellness.

Run by professionals from JCACounseling, this “Connection with a Purpose” gathering aims to help people break the ice on tough, yet critically important topics in a warm, welcoming environment. This will include engaging talks about:

• Strategies for navigating anxiety, especially for teenagers
• Suicide prevention, including spotting warning signs and getting support
• Emotional regulation, managing the feelings of you and your loved ones

These expert-led conversations will be spaced out throughout the day, with attendees not obligated to attend all of them or stay for the entire four hours. There will be other ways for people to gain valuable insight and support beyond these, such as informally engaging one-on-one with professionals in between these talks as well as browsing relevant materials placed around Milton City Park and Preserve’s Community Center.

The goal is to make discussing mental wellness matters more comfortable and natural – and to give people tools to broach such subjects with people in need to help. To help foster this atmosphere, this event won’t just be about deep conversations. It’s also about having fun. There will be fall-themed arts and crafts, lawn games, and other activities for all ages inside and outside the building, which backs to a City-owned greenspace. (So, yes, coloring a haunted house scene, running through bubbles, or trekking on MCPP’s trail can be good for your mental health, too!)

And, to help make people feel even more at home, food is a must – which is why those who register in advance can enjoy a free barbeque lunch. To do so, simply follow this link and click on “Get tickets” to reserve your complimentary meal: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/connection-with-a-purpose-tickets-1665720738569.

This event fits in with Milton’s mission to shine a spotlight on mental wellness by sharing resources, exploring difficult topics, and doing what it can to reduce stigmas to discussing (and getting help with) mental health issues. That effort includes our annual webinar, the most recent of which focused on grief, trauma, and support, which can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/VqIKMupoq_k. Or you can visit the City’s special webpage at www.miltonga.gov/MentalWellness.