MeUndies x This is My Brave — Beyond Basics by MeUndies

With World Mental Health Day approaching, we wanted to take this time to highlight a cause that is incredibly important to us: ending the stigma surrounding mental health. MeUndies Gives is an initiative we set up this year to support groups who have barriers to their own self-expression. Our final charitable partner for 2020 is This is My Brave, an organization that brings stories of mental illness and addiction out of the shadows and into the spotlight through creative expression. As a brand committed to supporting those struggling with self-worth, mental health, and overall well-being, we are so excited to introduce this amazing organization with you.

If you’ve been following us for a bit, or have worn any of our Undies, then you know we thoroughly believe in the power of freedom of expression. It’s what makes you, you. With this in mind, mental health, mental well-being, and overall self-worth are incredibly important to us and we want to use our platform to create a more thoughtful and accepting world. That’s why we were blown away when we found This is My Brave. They use storytelling and creative expression as a means to share mental health as a spectrum and ultimately end the stigma surrounding it.

In honor of our awesome charitable partnership, we’re hosting a virtual panel on World Mental Health Day to discuss the impact social isolation has had on mental health. This is a chance for you to interact with experts in the field, as well as some MeUndies HQ employees, and have an honest discussion about the importance of mental health. The details, as well as the panelists are below, we can’t wait to see you there.

Who: MeUndies x This is My Brave

When: 10/8/20 11am PST

Where: MeUndies IG Live

What: In partnership with This is My Brave, MeUndies will be hosting a conversation about mental health in social isolation

Panelist #1

Name: Caylen McDonald

Bio: Born and raised in Thousand Oaks, traveled to San Francisco and Nashville for some post-college living, until ultimately finding my way back to LA 2 years ago, and now work at MeUndies as the Customer Experience Manager. You're likely to find me taking pictures of my cats, talking about Harry Potter, or catching up on whatever reality competition show I'm currently binging.

Quote: Remember to honor the past versions of yourself, but never stop trying to be the best version.

Panelist #2

Name: Lauren Jordan

Bio: Lauren is a digital product designer, working in UI/UX, graphic design, and content strategy for 7 years now. She is an LA transplant by way of Arizona.

Quote: "He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure." -James Allen

Panelist #3

Name: Vernard Hines

Bio: Vernard “The Laugh Therapist” Hines delivers a dose of comedy that fills your heart with laughter and your soul with joy. A Norfolk Virginia native, Vernard retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years and now serves up a unique blend of humor on all stages and to veterans organizations across the country.

Quote: "Laughter Is a Healthy Dose of Therapy"

Panelist #4

Name: Kyaien Conner, PhD, LSW, MPH

Bio: Dr. Conner is a licensed clinical social worker and Associate Professor of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida. She is currently the Vice President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for the State of Florida. Dr. Conner’s research investigates the factors that influence disparities in health service utilization and treatment outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities, and examines culturally meaningful approaches to improving behavioral health. She is co-producing a special series of This Is My Brave: Stories from the Black Community as a way to combat the stigma associated with behavioral health disorders and seeking treatment in the Black community.

Quote: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” - Maya Angelou

Moderator

Name: Jenn Marshall

Bio: Jennifer Marshall is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of This Is My Brave, the leading platform for individuals to share their story of overcoming mental illness through creative expression.

Jennifer’s personal blog, BipolarMomLife.com, has been named Healthline Bipolar Blog of the year for three years in a row. She’s been featured in BPHope Magazine, on the front page of The Washington Post, in O Magazine, on local news stations NBC4 Washington, DC Fox5 and WJAL ABC7News, and in numerous local publications, speaking on the importance of sharing stories of triumphing despite mental illness to end stigma.