Meet Katrina!

Katrina is a Resident Services Coordinator at New Neighborhoods in Stamford, CT, where she received an MFA grant to create opportunities for connection, creativity, and conversation during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Through her project, Katrina hosted community events at Friendship House and Martin Luther King Jr. Apartments, bringing together young adults, families, and children for crafts, positivity activities, and meaningful discussions about mental health.

Participants helped create a “Garden of Positivity and Kindness,” sharing encouraging messages while learning about mental health resources available in their community, including 988.

The events gave residents a chance to connect, reduce stress, and support one another. By making mental health resources visible and accessible to everyone—including those without reliable access to technology—Katrina helped foster stronger community connections and important conversations about emotional well-being.

Thank you, Katrina, who said “This was an uplifting and lively project…thank you so much! We were able to create spaces where kindness, connection, and mental health awareness can grow

#MyFriendAbby #PeerProjectGrant #MentalHealthAwareness #988lifeline #CommunityConnection