— The bookstore owner opened the front door of the store to find water dripping down the walls from the apartment above the store. Books ruined, carpet sopping wet, ceiling tiles sagging. Hours of work are ahead to open the store for business. As they start calling employees to have all hands report for duty to tackle the mess, they feel the beginning of a panic attack and the start of their latest stress migraine.
— While stopped at a red light the bookseller tugged at their name badge lanyard where it was painfully rubbing their neck. As they did so, they felt a small hard lump just below their ear. That afternoon they spent their lunch hour getting a scan, and that evening they learned surgery would be the next day. With no warning their world turned upside down and their thoughts were filled with the fear of cancer and anxiety for the future.
— The comic shop employee quietly concentrated when they unpacked a new shipment, but the addition of tears to the silence was something new. No one at work knew they had gone home to an empty house the previous night, or that their spouse had closed out their banking accounts. No one could hear their frightened thoughts about being abandoned and personal worthlessness.
For 26 years, you have made sure that every qualified request like these received financial assistance from Binc. Even during the height of a global pandemic, your generous donations helped keep people in their homes, and kept those homes well-lit and warm.
Because of you, Binc’s program managers can always answer the calls for assistance and assure that help is on the way. You’ve made sure that Binc, the only safety net for the book and comic community, stayed strong and capable.
This year, thanks to your generosity, that safety net is even stronger. Now Binc’s program managers can offer the new Mental Health Wellness program, in addition to financial assistance.
Year to date, the Mental Health Wellness Program has given access to over 300 book and comic shop employees and owners, at no cost to them, 2 months of mental health therapy through the BetterHelp platform.
Assistance for mental health was the number one new program request discovered through the 2021 Binc feedback survey. The demand for anxiety, depression, and stress-related treatment is at a three-year high, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2022 Covid-19 Practitioner Survey, with 60 percent of psychologists at capacity and unable to accept new patients. This same survey reported that 96% of psychologists believe telehealth services are effective, and that “even brief interventions-targeted, time-limited programs…at critical moments-can have significant benefits.”
Now, in addition to financial assistance when unexpected difficulties occur, that critical moment of mental health therapy is also available when needed.
It happens because of YOU. Thank you.
A thank you from one of the bookstore owners that received access to the Mental Health Wellness program:
“I just booked my first appointment and am beyond grateful that you offered this service! It wouldn’t have occurred to me, but I know it’s going to be a help. Thank you for all that you do”