In every corner of our region, there are people quietly fighting battles we don't always see.

At our local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, those battles are met with compassion, community and understanding.

Carolina Impact's Chris Clark shows us how the mission is deeply personal for many of those leaders.

- [Chris] It looks like any other walk, but everyone here has a story.

When you break a bone, people rush to sign your cast, but when the pain's in your mind, it's often kept quiet.

- If somebody is going through a physical health crisis and we know how to show up and we know how to wrap our arms around somebody, and that's just harder to do with mental illness.

- [Chris] That's why the National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI Charlotte exists, to make sure no one walks this road alone.

- We are the safety net between someone recognizing they have a problem, they're trying to overcome stigma and the complexity of the problem.

- [Chris] The oldest and largest grassroots nonprofit helping those affected by mental illness, NAMI operates in 48 states and has served Charlotte for 32 years.

Despite decades of work, many families still don't know where to turn or that NAMI even exists.

- I spent 36 years navigating a mental health system and nobody ever told me about NAMI, so I was out there on my own finding my own way.

Unfortunately, it ended a little sooner than I'd wanted, so I have made it my mission to get the word out.

- [Chris] Linda's story isn't unique.

Many who now work for NAMI once faced the same heartbreak, losing a loved one to mental illness before they knew help was out there.

- He knew how to take care of his friends, but he never knew how to take care of himself.

And every time he would do that, he would fall apart.

And I'd say, "Nikki, every time you do that, you give a part of you away and someday there's gonna be nothing left."

And that day came.

- [Chris] Linda's son story echoes so many others, full of promise surrounded by love, yet fighting an invisible battle no one could see.

- Mathias was a 19-year-old UNC Chapel Hill student, 4.0 student always thought he was failing.

He had everything going for him and in his own mind, his illness just did not let him see that that darkness around them.

- [Chris] Now, families like Raphael's and Linda's are turning their pain into purpose, helping others navigate the same confusing system they once faced.

Or finding help isn't easy and time can be the difference between crisis and recovery.

- I recall there was a 48 hour period when he had a panic attack and anxiety issues and within those 48 hours I was trying to see if there was a therapist or a psychiatrist that was able to take him.

We made 25 calls within those 48 hours and not a single person was able to see Mathias without having a three to four week appointment.

That's what struck a chord with me when I learned about NAMI was the resources they have, the ability to reach out and get help.

(phone rings) - [Chris] When you reach out for help from NAMI Charlotte, there's a good chance the voice on the other end of the phone belongs to Lisa Drew.

- We get the calls that "I am struggling and I don't really know what I'm facing.

Could you help me figure out what I need to do and who I need to talk to?"

We get a lot of calls from parents of adult children who have either been recently diagnosed with a severe mental illness or have been struggling with a severe mental illness.

- [Chris] Once that call is made, volunteers and NAMI's navigator program find the right resources, follow up to make sure care is happening and offer something even more valuable, understanding.

- Many of us have lived experience with different mental health conditions or illnesses, and so we are able to share those experiences.

We are able to walk alongside the person who feels really alone.

- [Chris] Help on the phone and in person through various support groups geared towards individual needs.

- Currently we have 13 support groups that happen somewhere in Charlotte every month, whether it's family support, peer support, a men's only group, a women's only group, a young person's group.

- The very first thing they're gonna find is that they're suddenly part of a community that understands what they're going through.

And that in and of itself is incredibly powerful.

- [Chris] That same message you're not alone is when Raphael now carries into locker rooms and rinks.

After losing his son Mattias, a talented hockey player, Raphael turned his grief into advocacy through sports.

- One thing we did when Mattias passed that year, we went to the junior hockey program here in Charlotte, North Carolina with the Charlotte Rush and we had a mental health discussion with the team members there, and the whole theme was, it's okay to not be okay.

- [Chris] From those conversations in churches, classrooms, and offices, NAMI Charlotte's mission expands far beyond awareness.

Their work touches every corner of the community offering support, education, and connection for anyone affected by mental illness.

- We are charged with four things.

We support people, we bring awareness to mental health, we educate people and we connect people to resources.

- [Chris] And one of the most visible ways that mission comes to life is through NAMI Walks Charlotte, a two mile event that turns compassion into movement and awareness into celebration.

It's more than a fundraiser.

It's a moment to remember, to connect, and to walk together toward hope.

- It's probably like the most fun party you ever wanna throw.

It's such a celebration of life and love.

- [Chris] For families who face the darkness of mental illness, that togetherness is everything.

A reminder that healing isn't found in isolation but in community, each conversation, each connection, each step helps replace silence with understanding.

And here in Charlotte, every step truly matters.

For Carolina Impact, I'm Chris Clark.