Sources of Strength organizes Valentine’s day flower sale to fund mental health awareness projects

A Sources of Strength professional talks to students during Sources of Strength training on Nov. 30.

After Sources of Strength training, the club has seen a boost in participation, which has allowed it to split into multiple groups to focus on different campaigns.

The heavy scent of roses wafted through the air on Feb. 14 — Valentines day — as Sources of Strength officers gathered around a table in the quad to sell red roses for their Valentine’s Day Flower sale.

The organization ultimately raised close to $200 from over 88 purchases over the course of tutorial, lunch and after-school hours. The funds will be allocated toward wellness kits that will be distributed to students across campus. Wellness kits typically include items like hand-sanitizer, stress toys and sleep amenities to aid in student well-being.

The club also plans to host a week of mental health awareness campaigns during April, which the Culture of Consent (CoC) Task Force is helping to organize.

This contribution is part of a larger effort to raise awarenss regarding mental health: SHS’s Sources of Strength is a member of its namesake parent organization, a national collective of programs whose goal is the prevention of suicide by raising awareness and destigmatizing mental health issues.

In addition to fundraisers, the club also hosts weekly meetings and an annual Sources of Strength mental health training.

Sources of Strength training is an annual training where students learn about mental health topics, like emotional awareness and peer-to-peer support, from a Sources of Strength professional. Students were nominated by other students to participate in the training through a Google form.

This year’s training was conducted on Nov. 30 in the MAP annex, and included games and ice-breakers that addressed student mental wellness. Those who attended this training are meant to act as role models in the community and help others who are struggling through mental health issues using techniques from training.

According to junior president Tanya Ghai, 10 to 12 students now regularly attend meetings, up from the usual four or five people that attended before the training. This increase in participation has allowed the club to split into different groups to run “mini campaigns” — like posting positive post-it notes in the bathrooms and hanging up posters at sports games — to promote mental health awareness.

Junior vice president Elizabeth Stoiber first encountered the club when she was nominated to participate in a Sources of Strength training her freshman year. The club did not conduct the training last year due to COVID-19, so the officers were excited to be able to rekindle the club’s activities this year.

“I think it is really valuable to connect many students on campus from all grades through the training,” Stoiber said. “I think it’s great to see that a collective effort was being made to promote mental health and wellness on campus.”

Currently, the club hosts meetings in conjunction with other mental health awareness clubs and organizations like CoC.

“I love the club,” junior club member Andy Fung said. “[It’s important to be] aware of how you are mentally and be able to take care of yourself. I hold that very dear to my heart because I have been through life and its harsh experiences.”

To Fung, the club’s mission is especially important given the culture of academic excellence at the school which oftentimes can negatively affect students’ mental health.

“In my opinion, kids in Saratoga spend a lot of time thinking about getting good grades and building their resumes — they don’t think about how all that work and stress takes a toll on them,” Fung said.

According to Stoiber, the main goal of Sources of Strength will continue to be to distribute wellness kits to help others learn and talk about mental health; the club also plans to make posters to promote the wellness center.

“I hope that [this club] can make everyone aware that there are always resources and places to go and promote the wellness center,” Ghai said. “I think the biggest thing for people to take away is that we have resources and that we are always here as friends on campus.”