We are proud to welcome Gabrielle Magid, Founder and CEO of Stronger than Stigma, to the Charity Charge Community. Gabby is a leader in mental health advocacy and is striving to attack the culture that stigmatizes mental health and to build a culture where asking for help is considered a strength and not a weakness.
In 2013, Gabby, a then student at The University of Florida, noticed that despite free counseling being offered on college campuses, students weren’t going. Some didn’t want to be judged. Others didn’t know where to go. So students struggled alone and in silence.
From Gabby’s perspective, “It wasn’t any better in the real world with the added stress of “adulting”– young professionals struggled, too. Back then, just talking about the subject of mental health was brave. Then it became trendy. But we needed more than talk. We needed to connect. We needed action and advocacy.”
From there, Stronger Than Stigma was born. And it’s growing. From college campuses and beyond, students are joining forces, sharing ideas and supporting one another like never before.
Gabby states, “We’re also here for the people who care about them. If we can start the conversation that normalizes these struggles and make reaching out for help less intimidating, then we can encourage more people to help themselves.”
Before Gabby found Charity Charge, her local credit union would not approve her organization for a business credit card. Forced to use a debit card, Gabby constantly worried that the hard earned dollars she raised would be stolen as her debit card did not have necessary fraud protections. Even with the offer to personally guarantee her organization’s accounts, traditional banks would not take a chance on her, denying dozens of applications for business lines of credit.
We are honored to serve Gabby and look forward to watching Stronger than Stigma continue to grow and touch lives across the nation. Check out Gabby’s video above as she talks about her journey of building an organization from the ground up as well as her “why” for joining Charity Charge and utilizing our programs.
