Comedy Gives Back, the safety net for the comedy community, is proud to join forces with Find Your Anchor (FYA) on Mental Health Action Day, May 16th, to distribute Find Your Anchor boxes aimed at suicide prevention, awareness, and education. FYA is a grassroots movement aimed at suicide prevention, awareness, and education. With creativity and a personal touch, FYA aims to support those who may be struggling and de-stigmatize conversations surrounding suicide and mental health.
Comedy and the more serious topic of mental health may seem like an unlikely duo, but for those within the comedy industry, the struggle with mental health is a stark reality. While the spotlight shines on comedians when they’re on stage, offstage, many face battles with anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. By partnering with Find Your Anchor, Comedy Gives Back aims to offer tangible support to those in the comedy community who may be struggling with their mental health. At the heart of FYA’s mission is the FYA box, a small blue box packed with materials designed to inspire, soothe, and offer support to those in need.
Each FYA box contains a “52+ Reasons to Live” deck of cards, an infographic on depression, a list of resources, posters, stickers, a mixtape, a bracelet, and a heartfelt letter from a stranger who cares. The boxes are intended to be personalized, with recipients encouraged to add their own anchors and inspiration before passing them along.
“Our intention in distributing the FYA boxes is to share them as far and wide as we can to comedy clubs across the country so on whatever day someone needs it, the FYA box and Comedy Gives Back reminds them that they are not alone and that they matter.”
By distributing FYA boxes, as well as information on how to access Comedy Gives Back’s amazing stable of tools and resources on Mental Health Action Day and beyond, Comedy Gives Back hopes to remind everyone in the comedy community that they are not alone and that their mental health matters.
Comedy Gives Back has also been a steadfast presence at comedy festivals throughout the year, offering support, resources, and a variety of health and wellness programs to the entire comedy community. Comedy Gives Back partnered with the recent Netflix is a Joke (Los Angeles), as well as Moontower Festival (Austin) and Bergamot Festival (Santa Monica) where Comedy Gives Back offered many programs including a daily recovery meeting, a panel on mental health and comedy at The Hollywood and Mind conference at UTA, emotional intelligence workshops and meditation classes. Comedy Gives Back is dedicated to ensuring that comedians have the help they need to thrive both onstage and off.
In addition to its presence at comedy festivals, Comedy Gives Back provides access to mental and physical health resources, financial grants, and support networks all year round. Just this year, they worked with Gig Safetynet to create Comedy Gives Back Healthnet, a healthcare portal specifically designed for uninsured/underinsured working comedians on the road.
For more information about Comedy Gives Back and access to mental health resources and grants for comedians, please contact [email protected].
For more information about Find Your Anchor and the FYA box, please visit findyouranchor.us.
