A Butler group hopes an upcoming candlelight vigil will throw some light on its mission to help those suffering from mental illness.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has scheduled the event from 7 to 9 p.m. May 18 in Butler’s Diamond Park.

“This candlelight vigil is to raise awareness in the community and let people know about NAMI. Not a lot of people know about NAMI,” said Kathy McDonnell, the head of NAMI, 140 N. Elm St., Butler.

“We hope to do a prayer vigil type thing. There will be candles available and it will all be free,” McDonnell said. “The candles will be in remembrance of those people that have passed because of mental illness.”

The group has been in Butler since 1998, said McDonnell, who described it as a grass-roots organization offering resources for people with mental illness and their families.

“We try to raise awareness. We support, educate and advocate. We try to lessen the stigma of mental illness,” said McDonnell. “We have support groups for both family members and people with mental illness.”

In addition to providing support, McDonnell said NAMI offers classes to both people with mental illnesses and their family and friends, as well as a lending library.

“Family members and people with mental illness, we advocate for both whether the person is in the hospital or in the community,” said McDonnell.

She said the group can make referrals to services in the community for people needing help with mental illness.

“We’re not sure that a lot of people know about us,” said Joyce Saunders of Slippery Rock, the NAMI board president.

“We want people to know that we have education programs and that we advocate for the mentally ill,” said Saunders.

“May is Mental Health Month,” said Saunders. “We would like people to support our cause of fighting the stigma of mental illness and support NAMI’s advocating for better treatment and cures for mental illness.”

How big a problem is mental illness in Butler County?

“It’s a big problem. There are facilities and organizations that help people with mental illness. The problem is funding,” said McDonnell.

McDonnell took over as head of NAMI in November after three years as a certified peer specialist at the Grapevine Center, a drop-in center for those suffering from mental illness.

McDonnell said she hopes the vigil will mark a new activist phase for NAMI.

Saunders said the group has added new board members in the last two months.

“We are always looking for people who are interested in working,” said Saunders.