For many of us, our various fandoms consist of meeting up, dressing up, sharing our passions and finding good times. But for many fans, the joy of doing what you love is muted by the pain of isolation and the stigma of depression.
Thankfully, comedienne and fan supreme, Jenny Jaffe, with an assist from beloved SF actor Wil Wheaton, is making a difference through her involvement with Project UROK.
Jenny and her compatriots at Project UROK have made it their goal to speak on the factors that lead to depression, anxiety and social withdrawal. Teens and young adults are especially at risk and it was for this reason Jenny and crew made the trek to San Diego Comic Con 2015 to spread the good and needed word about mental health awareness.
Not that isn’t a lighter side to Jenny…. In fact, our time together touched on subjects wide and wonderful, from the excitement of con travel without a net, to how your favorite TV show can save your life along with how to pull off a guerrilla interview in one of the world’s most crowded media events.
But enough talk from little ol’ me. Now’s the time for you to listen for yourself…
From the Project UROK website:
Welcome to Project UROK! These are our goals
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De-stigmatize mental illness
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Combat isolation
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Create an online community
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Reduce teen suicide
Project UROK is a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by Jenny Jaffe. Our mission is to create funny, meaningful videos for teenagers struggling with mental health issues, made by people who have been there before. In doing so, we will provide not only practical assistance, but also a sense of belonging, a sense of comfort, and a sense of hope.
The content on Project UROK will be diverse and varied: comedy sketches, testimonials, informational videos, a podcast, scripted and unscripted webseries. To see more videos, click here.
46.3% of 13-18 year olds have a diagnosable mental illness (NIMH). 1 in 12 teenagers will attempt suicide, and 1 in 6 will seriously consider it (for more information on mental health resources, click here). In the face of those statistics, Project UROK was created to combat the isolation and stigmatization surrounding mental illness. We are starting an honest and open conversation about it, and we hope you’ll join us.
Project UROK provides a platform to showcase your voices and stories, where you can upload videos of their own. We want to hear your thoughts, your stories, and what inspires you! What has helped you through hard times?
To upload a video go to http://projecturok.org/
Will Wheaton UROK youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6ACzT6PCDw
Twitter: @ProjectUROK
Follow Jenny at: @jennyjaffe
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