The community is invited to show its support and commitment to ending the stigma of mental illness, and improving the mental health of all those in the community at the Annual Ambassadors for Edgewater Mental Health Awareness Luncheon. The luncheon is on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at Avalon Manor in Merrillville. The theme for this year’s luncheon is “The Community Around Mental Illness.”
The featured speaker at the Ambassadors for Edgewater Mental Health Awareness luncheon will be Dr. Lonise Bias, an internationally known motivational speaker, trainer, certified youth and family life coach and consultant. In addition to Dr. Bias, community providers who work on a daily basis to meet the needs of children, youth, and adults who suffer from mental illness will be present.
Bias is a dynamic and compelling orator who engages audiences with her motivational and inspirational presentations, workshops and seminars. Her career as a public speaker was launched as the result of the deaths of her two sons, Len and Jay Bias. Len Bias died due to cocaine intoxication two days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics on June 19, 1986. Jay Bias was murdered in a drive by shooting at a local mall in 1990.
Since that time, Bias has become a community activist, addressing topics dealing with the declining social health within schools, bullying, gangs, and violence. She brings powerful messages of Hope focused on the themes “Turning Lemons to Lemonade,” “Hope Is Not Extinct,” and the “Family Matters” to communities, homes, schools, workplaces, and the streets where we live.
Bias has delivered keynote addresses to the faith based community, the public and private sector, and at national and international conferences, providing solutions to remedy the social ills of our day. She has made many media appearances and is the recipient of numerous awards honoring her services to communities everywhere.
