Chazkeinu: Past, Present & Future

You might know someone with mental illness. Maybe it’s you; maybe a family member or friend. But it is someone you wish to see get better. You’ve seen them suffer, even while in treatment. Perhaps you have suffered as well. You wish there was another way for them to find help and hope in the darkness. Chazkeinu was created to offer that additional support to Orthodox Jewish women living with mental illness. The safety and understanding offered by their peer groups has been transformative for not only the women seeking support but also their communities. Today, we speak to its founder about how they are working to end the stigma on mental illness, one woman at a time.Zahava has been on our show twice before (in Episode 13 and Episode 138) talking about her life with bipolar. Today, she joins us with her husband to talk about where their nonprofit has come from and where they are going. The original goal of Chazkeinu was to create a family of (mostly Orthodox Jewish) women who live with mental illness and to remove the shame and stigma they live with because of it. In the last five years, they have grown support groups, added an emergency hotline, and lessened shame for the women, their families, and the entire Orthodox community.They have developed phone, zoom, and in-person confidential support groups and opportunities for weekend gathering. Their work has lessened mental health stigma in the Orthodox community at large by giving women a safe space to talk openly about what they are going through. Peer support has been proven to provide another level of healing that professionals simply cannot offer. “Peer” doesn’t mean the women are all the same. Each peer group is full of women of all different ages and experiences.One unique aspect of women’s care at Chazkeinu is to support those who support them. Husbands, children, and other family members, friends, and caregivers have access to listening ears and peer groups as they learn how to best care for their loved one with mental illness. Educating and listening to support givers is essential for the improvement of the women’s mental state. Guiding support givers to end the stigma in their own minds strengthens the healing journey for themselves and for the loved one they care for.Zahava and her husband cannot (and do not) do it alone. They need more people on their team. There are many reasons they require support. Not only are they continuing their current work and adding new clients to it, they hope to someday have the ability to give a care package to each of their clients and to build a “chill house” in cities across the globe where clients can come and find refuge from the world. They want to be able to organize and run as the growing non-profit that they are, which will require additional staff, tools, and general finances. Zahava and her husband need strong support to be able to care for their clients well. Join them today by sharing their story or donating financially. You can be a part of saving and improving the lives of individual women and of their communities.Thank you for listening to Hope to Recharge! If we are important to you, help us out and Leave us a review on iTunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-to-recharge/id1464788845. It makes a huge difference!—————————————————————————Our 2022 Retreat is Live! Space is limited to 25 people. Signup today to reserve your spot: https://hopetorecharge.com/retreat—————————————————————————Connect with Chazkeinu:Donate: https://www.rayze.it/chazkeinu/Promotional Video: https://player.vimeo.com/video/643864160Chazkeinu Website: https://chazkeinu.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChazkeinuInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chazkeinu/Episode 13: https://hopetorecharge.com/episode/using-bipolar-to-make-a-big-difference-in-the-world-with-zahava-list/Episode 138: https://hopetorecharge.com/episode/resilience-through-recovery-zahava-list/—————————————————————————Quotes:“I often say it's not only the families; it’s generations. So if you're saving a mom, you're saving the marriage, the children, the grandchildren and, and it goes on and on and on.” @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge“Every human knows somebody with, with mental illness, there is no such thing that we live in the bubble that I don't know, somebody with mental illness.” @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge“There were many, many, many, many women that were coming over to me and telling me about how his Kainos saved their lives, saved their marriage, or, or didn't save their marriage and help them out of a toxic marriage to get to their healthy path of healing.” @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge“While they're struggling, you know, there's nothing wrong intrinsically with them. They're a person that has a struggle.” @Mr. List @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge“You're not alone. You're loved. You're not broken. You're you're going to heal. You're going to get there.” @MatanaJacobs #HopetoRecharge—————————————————————————Topics DiscussedThe importance of peer supportSupporting those who support loved ones with mental illnessEnding the stigma and shame of being a woman with mental illnessWhere Chazkeinu has beenWhere they hope to beWhat they need to grow their work—————————————————————————If you need more support in your mental health journey please reach out to us in our private Facebook group. We also offer free 30-minute fitting calls for our coaching program. You do not have to walk through your mental health struggle alone. Because as always, together is better!There is no substitute for a listening ear. Get Your Free 30 Minute Consultation Today.http://www.hopetorecharge.com/1on1—————————————————————————Interested in joining our monthly Mastermind?Find out more info here! http://www.hopetorecharge.com/Mastermind—————————————————————————Suicide Hotlines:USA: 1-800-273-8255USA Crisis (Text): 741-741Canada: 1-833-456-4566United Kingdom: 116-123Australia: 13-11-14International Suicide Hotlines:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines—————————————————————————Connect with us!Website: https://hopetorecharge.com/Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2079694042156503/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matanajacobs/—————————————————————————3 WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP THE PODCAST:1) Subscribe via iTunes and leave a review. It costs nothing. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-to-recharge/id1464788845—————————————————————————2) Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Website: https://hopetorecharge.com/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2079694042156503/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matanajacobs/—————————————————————————3) Subscribe to us on:iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-to-recharge/id1464788845Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/00AIhRZOxKNOvenz32gGeKStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/heather-parady-2/hope-to-rechargeYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_DkYMcco7pSrkKk6wU5p7w—————————————————————————Today’s episode of Hope to Recharge is sponsored by https://Betterhelp.com/hopetorecharge. Betterhelp.com is the world’s leading provider of online therapy. Their mission is to make professional counseling accessible, affordable, and convenient, so anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere.Head to https://Betterhelp.com/hopetorecharge for 10% off your first month of services. IMPORTANT: Be sure to click this link in order to get the 10% off code.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hope-to-recharge/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy