NAMI Southwestern Illinois – Mental Health Awareness Month Kickoff Event

Greetings,

I’d like to share an upcoming community event from NAMI Southwestern Illinois.

On Friday, May 2nd, we are hosting our Quarter Auction Fundraiser, which will serve as our official kickoff for Mental Health Awareness Month.

This event is designed to bring the community together in a fun, engaging way while also raising awareness and critical funding to support free mental health programs across our region, including support groups, education, and advocacy.

We’re currently looking for:

• Attendees to join us for a great night
• Local businesses willing to donate items or baskets (valued $20–$50)
• And community partners who want to help us spread the word

If you’d like to attend, donate, or learn more, you can register or find event details here:

RSVP ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/share/18PhDwoM4o/

REGISTER: https://namiswi.org/may-kickoff-quarter-auction/

Your support helps us continue providing no-cost mental health resources to individuals and families across our 10-county service area.

Thank you—we hope to see you there.

Don't just talk about AI, start winning with it.

Join our live AI workshop and discover how to turn AI into your reliable digital assistant for everyday business operations. Join Cohen Barnes, President of Sundog, Tom Harness, Instructor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Mark Korte, Medical Director at Southern Illinois Healthcare. 

In this interactive session, you'll get a no-nonsense, step-by-step roadmap to:

• Save time on summaries, insights, and trend spotting
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• Adopt AI responsibly with strong security, governance, and compliance
• Start small, measure real ROI, and scale what works

Bonus: Earn 1 SHRM Credit just for attending!

Limited spots—register now

Join us for an interactive, hands-on workshop designed to help you build confidence, strengthen relationships, and elevate the way you communicate in professional settings.

Whether you’re presenting to top clients or your Board, introducing yourself at a networking event, or leading productive team meetings, this workshop will give you practical tools you can use immediately.

This is not your typical sit-and-listen event—this is a working workshop experience. Participants will break into small groups and rotate through focused sessions led by experienced speakers and facilitators, allowing you to practice in a safe, supportive environment.

Workshop Tracks Include:
✔ Presenting to clients, leadership, or large audiences
✔ Networking with confidence and making meaningful connections
✔ Facilitating team growth through effective meetings and leadership

If you’ve ever thought:
“My hands sweat before I speak.”
“I’m not sure what to say when introducing myself.”
“I want to feel more confident presenting in front of others.”

This workshop was built for you.

Walk away feeling more comfortable, prepared, and confident—whether you’re speaking to a room of two or two hundred.

Click Here to Watch Lisa Phillipson & Andrew Ambrose
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Join us for a fun and relaxed afternoon at Fairmount Park Casino & Racing!

• Free Entry
• Starts at 1:30 PM — feel free to arrive anytime before or after the start time
• Reserved area for Chamber Members and Guests
• Food & Beverages will be available for purchase

Business Before Breakfast: Canva Flyer Workshop

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This is not just a presentation — it’s a working workshop designed to help attendees actively create and improve their own marketing materials. We’ll begin with a short overview covering flyer design tips, Canva tools, and ways to make your promotions stand out. The remainder of the session will be dedicated to hands-on work time, where attendees can begin creating their flyers while receiving guidance, feedback, and support.

💻 Important: Please bring your laptop or tablet, along with an idea for a flyer you would like to create or improve. This could be for an upcoming event, business promotion, fundraiser, special sale, class, or any other marketing need.

Whether you’re brand new to Canva or looking to sharpen your design skills, this workshop will provide practical tips you can immediately put to use.

 

Cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and damaging. Knowing how to spot and mitigate threats through proper cybersecurity policies and tools has never been more critical for your business. Join members of the Symphona Tech SecOps team, Matt Jones, Warner Smith and Grant Pickett as they discuss cybersecurity best practices and the real-world consequences of falling for a cyber scam.

What you'll discover: 

• Cybersecurity best practices ranging from policies to defense tools 
• Real-world examples of breaches and their consequences 
• What steps to take when you or your company is compromised 

Bonus: Earn 1 SHRM Credit just for attending!

Limited spots—register now