National Pride Month was in June, but the greater Rochester area has a distinct tradition of continuing that celebration into July: this year’s Rochester Pride Celebration Parade takes place at 1pm Saturday, July 15, starting at the corner of Alexander Street and Park Avenue. Dozens of Hillside employees will be marching – join us!
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July is also Disability Pride Month, and the word “pride” is particularly important in there—beyond awareness, this effort is intended to foster and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of individuals with disabilities. Hillside partners with many individuals and families for whom various forms of disability aren’t just challenges to overcome, but part of an identity that should be accepted and cherished.
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Finally, BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month in July 2023 features a campaign theme of Culture, Community, & Connection. At Hillside, we see every day the linkages between poverty and mental illness – as well as how those connections disproportionately affect members of the Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities, for whom structural racism and inequity frequently only amplify those toxic forces. Awareness is only the beginning! Mental Health America has more information and ways to get involved here.