Rural Minds Hits Home – Patrons Chain – National Grange Newsletter
By Carolynn Chamlee, Communication Fellow
With the session hall packed chair-to-chair at the 156th Annual Convention of the National Grange, President Betsy Huber introduced the founder and CEO of Rural Minds Jeff Winton. Rural Minds is on a mission to be the informed voice for mental health in rural America and seeks to provide mental health information and resources.
Roughly 65 million Americans live in rural areas. Rural Minds’ vision is a rural America with no more silence, suffering, or stigma around mental health. November 17 is National Rural Health Day and it was an eye-opening presentation on how big of an issue this has become. Who better to partner with than the National Grange whose roots are in the heart of rural America?
Winton shared the story of his company’s origins. Like most of us, Winton had members of his family that struggled with their mental health which led to the tragic loss of his nephew Brooks Winton nearly a decade ago. Brooks Winton had been a force to be reckoned with on the farm and football field in upstate New York. The small community was rattled by the sudden and tragic loss of one of their own. The family decided maybe if they shared the story of Brooks Winston’s passing, the narrative could begin to change.