CITY OF FRESNO
Office of Councilmember Esmeralda Soria
__________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ESMERALDA SORIA, Councilmember, District 1 JERRY DYER, Honorable Mayor
__________________________________________ ____________________________________________ MIKE KARBASSI, Councilmember, District 2 LUIS CHAVEZ, Councilmember, District 5
___________________________________________ ____________________________________________ MIGUEL ARIAS, Councilmember, District 3 GARRY BREDEFELD, Councilmember, District 6
___________________________________________ ____________________________________________ TYLER MAXWELL, Council Vice President, District 4 NELSON ESPARZA, Council President, District 7
Is hereby presented in honor of:
Dajon Reed
WHEREAS, Mental health is a part of overall health that often goes untreated due to the stigma surrounding it. It is important to maintain mental health and learn the symptoms of mental illness to get help when it is needed; and
WHEREAS, Approximately one- half of chronic mental illness begins by the age of fourteen, and three-quarters by the age of twenty-four. 90% of people who die by suicide have an underlying mental illness with suicide being the second leading cause of death among young adults; and
WHEREAS, Long delays – sometimes decades – often occur between the time symptoms first appear and individuals getting help. Early identification and treatment can make a difference in successful management of mental illness and recovery; and
WHEREAS, Every person and community can make a difference in helping end the stigma that surrounds mental illness and discourages people from getting help; and
WHEREAS, The City of Fresno honors the life and memory of Dajon Reed who tragically passed at the age of twenty-four after his battle with mental illness; and
WHEREAS, Dajon’s memory lives on through his mother, Dr. Michelle Gonzales Reed, who is fighting for mental health reform. Through her advocacy she is bringing awareness to the struggles of mental illness, and for better education about mental health.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the City of Fresno Mayor and City Council, in honor of Dajon Reed’s life and memory, hereby proclaim October 2nd through October 8th to be:
“Mental Illness Awareness Week”
in the City of Fresno
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and affixed the seal of the City of Fresno, California, this 13
th
day of October 2022.