Our calendar has been down for awhile now, so until tech support can fix it, our peer support dates will be posted here.

What: Weekly peer support groups!

When: 5:00PM-7:30PM (always at this time, whether it is a Saturday or Tuesday meeting!)

September peer support dates are:
Saturday 9/10  5:00PM-7:30PM
Tuesday 9/13  5:00PM-7:30PM
Saturday 9/24  5:00PM-7:30PM
Tuesday 9/27  5:00PM-7:30PM

October peer support dates are:
Saturday 10/8  No peer support, but we will be tabling at the Richmond Zine Fest from 11AM-6PM!
Tuesday 10/11  5:00PM-7:30PM
Saturday 10/22  5:00PM-7:30PM
Tuesday 10/25  5:00PM-7:30PM

Where: ***UPDATE: We are looking for a regular place to meet that is dependable, free, and doesn't have a lot of people around. If you could help us find a space please let us know!***

We now hold peer support in Monroe Park at the beginning of the Fan in Richmond, on the corner of Main and Laurel Streets. We tend to feel out how comfortable attendees are with remaining in the park, and change the site accordingly after everyone arrives. If it's raining or the park is crowded and members feel that it may be difficult to create a safe space in the park, we will relocate to a quieter area. This usually results in walking a block to the VCU Student Commons and sitting in a quiet area on the top floor. If you wish to attend but come late, need directions, etc, please call (804) 888-1709.

Why: Regular gatherings specifically for emotional support can be a great and empowering alternative to the shackles of professional and mainstream support groups.

Mutual aid and support groups are a way to bring down the walls that isolate us. No one in the group is above anyone else: mutual aid means we listen to and support each other as a community of equals, without paid professionals or staff to define who we are.

Each of us is a...n expert on our own experience, and each of us is the center for our decisions--and we are NOT ALONE.

When we gather together with people who've been through what we've been through, people who share some of the mysteries and suffering that get labeled 'mental illness,' we discover new maps through crisis, learn new tools to stay healthy, and weave communities of solidarity. Our wild emotional selves are seeking a way to find others. Breaking through the walls and making a connection can mean all the difference in the world.

Peer support groups are sober events, so no drugs or alcohol, please.

**This will be a safe listening space for anyone who attends, no matter their backgrounds or their current struggles. We merely ask that people are respectful of others while also maintaining confidentiality (level of confidentiality will be determined by those who attend).**