By: Kelly Rouba

Actress Tanna Frederick certainly has been busy, playing the lead in Just 45 Minutes From Broadway at the Edgemar Center For The Arts in Los Angeles and starring in Queen of the Lot with Noah Wyle, which came out in theaters in November. But even with a full schedule, Frederick has still managed to devote ample time to raising funds for several organizations that support those who have a mental illness.

“There’s so little funding for mental illness and one out of five people are mentally ill or have some form of mental illness, or at least that’s what the statistics say. I feel like it’s a problem that doesn’t get enough recognition or enough funding,” Frederick said.

This past spring, Frederick ran in the Los Angeles Marathon in an effort to help raise funds for two non-profits associated with mental illness, the North Iowa Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NIAMI) and the North Iowa Transition Center (NITC). In total, she raised around $5,000 in donations. “I’m always surprised how many people come out of the woodwork, who you don’t expect to, and give us money,” she remarked.

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According to a written statement, Frederick selected NIAMI because "their financing is not adequate to allow for the programs they offer providing education, support, and encouragement free of charge to families and loved ones of those with a mental illness."

The North Iowa Transition Center (NITC) is a non-profit organization that provides community-based services to individuals who have a serious mental illness but no longer require hospital care. Their mission is to assist individuals in becoming self-sufficient so they can lead productive and independent lives.

Frederick’s interest in supporting these organization stems from her parents. Her mother has been a past President and active member of NIAMI for 20 years, and her father has been on the Board of Directors of the North Iowa Transition Center for 24 years. “Both of them have been very active since I was a kid and that set a wonderful example for me,” she said.

From welcoming some of the people from the transition center into their home to taking them out for their birthdays, Frederick has supported her parents’ efforts since childhood. “I’ve just been integrated into that world, so I completely support them and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.”

Although she also supports the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Frederick is focusing on the two organizations close to where she grew up for the time being. “Right now, I am working on the little guys because my mom’s organization—the organization she is a part of, the North Iowa Alliance on Mental Illness—was about to close down because they have zero funding left. I was able to step in and give them money to keep going.”

Funding, she feels, is vital to creating awareness and supporting those with a mental illness. “There’s so much stigma attached to mental illness, and there’s so much misunderstanding about it purely because we don’t have the funding to be able to really teach people about it and address it as it needs to be addressed.”

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As a result, “I think it’s something that people are ashamed to talk about or embarrassed about and, a lot of times, I think that’s why some of these tragic suicides happen…because people who have depression feel so completely guilty…like it’s their fault that they’re depressed when it’s a chemical imbalance.”

“I think people are reluctant to talk about it,” Frederick added. “However, being the eternal optimist that I am and seeing how much people gave to me for these two organizations was beautiful, and I believe that with more people addressing it, I believe it will get better. I believe the doors will open up.”

Frederick also encourages people to visit NAMI’s website, www.nami.org, to access a special checklist if they think they are suffering from depression. The checklist asks several questions and if you answer yes to even a few, you could be clinically depressed, she said, adding, “It’s very helpful.”

Frederick also suggests gently sharing the checklist or information on the website with friends or family who seem depressed. “It does need to be addressed and intervened by friends because sometimes when you’re in that dark place, there’s just no getting out of it. You need help from other people.”

For more information, visit: www.northiowatransitioncenter.org or www.tannafrederick.com