Berkeley Heights Rotary Club 'Paints the Town Green' With Ribbons, Proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. — Green ribbons now stretch the length of Springfield Avenue and surround the Berkeley Heights Municipal Complex, a visible reminder that mental health touches every family in town — and that help is available.Members of the Berkeley Heights Rotary Club launched the effort Monday evening, walking Springfield Avenue and tying green ribbons — the color associated with mental health awareness — to light posts and telephone poles along the corridor. The initiative, part of the "Paint the Town Green" campaign, was organized in partnership with the New Jersey Crosstown Mental Health Coalition.The ribbon walk followed a ceremony at the municipal complex, where Berkeley Heights officially designated May 2026 as Mental Health Awareness Month.Mayor Angie Devanney read the proclamation aloud before she, Council President John Foster, and Rotarian Mike Kral raised a green flag at the municipal complex. The group gathered for a photo before heading out to Springfield Avenue to begin tying ribbons.The proclamation, signed May 4, 2026, cited statistics and values that organizers say reflect the urgency of the cause."Whereas one in two people experience a mental health crisis in their lifetime, reminding us that it is not someone else's issue — it touches all of us," the proclamation reads in part.The document also acknowledged that "stigma and barriers to care continue to prevent too many people from seeking the help they deserve," and that "recovery is possible — with the right support, individuals can lead full, meaningful and productive lives."The proclamation called mental health "a shared responsibility," noting that "communities thrive when schools, families, businesses, health care providers and local leaders work together to support well-being."It also specifically recognized the NJ Crosstown Mental Health Coalition, praising the group's "collaboration across our community" and its work "promoting mental health awareness, education and advocacy through shared initiatives such as the Paint the Town Green campaign."Following the ceremony, Rotary Club members fanned out across Springfield Avenue with green ribbons in hand, coordinating placement at light posts, telephone poles, and along the borders of Town Hall. The group split into teams to cover the full stretch of the avenue, with some members driving ahead to anchor the starting point near the new county park — not yet complete — on Springfield Avenue.The effort drew a sense of camaraderie among volunteers, several of whom noted the simplicity and power of the gesture: a ribbon, tied by a neighbor, for a neighbor.The Berkeley Heights Rotary Club is encouraging residents and local businesses to keep the momentum going by displaying green ribbons of their own throughout May.For a full schedule of events and additional information, visit the NJ Cross-Town Mental Health Coalition.Follow the Coalition on social media: Facebook: NJ Cross-Town Mental Health Coalition Instagram: @njcrosstownmentalhealthFor more information on the NJ Cross-Town Mental Health Coalition and Paint the Town Green, residents are encouraged to contact their local coalition representative or visit their town's mental health committee.