Columbus, OH — September 23, 2021 —This Is Us actor Chris Sullivan, surprised students, via Zoom at Jim Hill High School in Jackson, MS as part of Big Lots and On Our Sleeves’ One Million Classrooms Project.
Sullivan participated in the visit, which included the presentation of a $1,000 Big Lots gift card provided by On Our Sleeves to underwrite mental health and mindfulness activities for faculty and students. This local visit is part of a national “Back to School Surprise” organized by On Our Sleeves in partnership with Big Lots, another strong national supporter of the child mental health movement.
“As someone who has personally faced challenges with anxiety and depression, I strongly advocate for mental health awareness to help combat the stigma of openly talking about the issue,” said Sullivan. “I am honored that On Our Sleeves invited me to participate in its One Million Classrooms Project because it’s such an incredible program that sheds light on the mental health of children – a demographic that is often neglected.”
One in five children in America lives with a mental health condition and half of lifetime mental illnesses present by age 14. On Our Sleeves, the national child mental health movement has a mission to provide every community in America with free resources necessary for breaking child mental health stigmas and for educating families and advocates because no child or family should struggle alone. Through their Million Classrooms Project, launched in May 2021, On Our Sleeves set a goal to provide 1 million elementary and middle school classrooms across America with free mental health and mindfulness resources. These “Back to School Surprises” are a part of that effort which wraps on October 10th, World Mental Health Awareness Day.
“One of the missions we have here at Jim Hill High School is to provide a collective space for all of our scholars to thrive and to be mentally sound to embark on their educational journey. We enjoy assisting families and scholars with their mental health awareness, and with their most pressing concerns,” said Rashad Moore, Principal at Jim Hill High School. “Our scholars strive for excellence, are passionate about education, and they admire the progressive struggle that it takes to be outstanding people and citizens within society. This great opportunity and gracious donation by On Our Sleeves will allow us at Jim Hill High School to support classroom teachers and scholars at all grade levels. This initiative is also great for providing the support for positive growth of mental health activities in each classroom and school-wide.”
Sullivan currently stars as Toby Damon on the NBC drama This Is Us, which has earned him two nominations for the Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
“Big Lots is proud to be a part of the One Million Classrooms Project with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and On Our Sleeves,” said Bruce Thorn, President & Chief Executive Officer of Big Lots. “We are committed to highlighting the importance of openly speaking about children’s mental health, breaking stigmas, and helping to provide educators with resources from behavioral health experts.”