“We are more similar than not.”

A sentiment that resonated throughout conversations at the monthly Men’s Mental Health Meet-up in March, hosted by Macon Mental Health Matters (MMGM) and the Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) program. The meet-ups are held below Churchills on Cherry (557 Cherry Street) on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m., and the next session will be Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Read more about the March meet-up by clicking here.

“We wanted to create a safe space for men to talk about their challenges and mental health,” says MVP Coordinator Jeremy Grissom. “We as a society often overlook how a man is feeling or doing mentally because we expect them to ‘be a man’ and always be okay. We want men to know it’s okay to not be okay, and there is help.”

Grissom hosts the meet-up, giving men a chance to take a break, reflect on their lives, seek advice, and realize that they are not alone in what they face. The meetings always open with asking the men how they’re feeling right at that moment on a scale of 1-10.

No matter the story told, no matter the feelings conveyed, no matter the struggles discussed nor the challenges…each was met with affirmative nods and knowing looks. Each of the more than dozen men sitting around two tables in an empty room below Churchill’s on that dreary night in March saw something of themself in the other, a shared and common experience and set of emotions.

You can find more information on the MMHM website, www.maconmentalhealthmatters.com, and by following MMHM on Facebook.