The Rotary Club of Smithfield will reprise its Mental Health Expo at The Smithfield Center on April 30.

The inaugural 2024 event, titled “Vibrant Emotional Health,” drew participation from 45 mental health providers and aid organizations and an estimated 50 attendees, most from Isle of Wight County. This year’s event, titled “Live Your Best Life,” is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. It’s set to grow to 50 organizations, according to Rotary Mental Health Committee Co-Chairman Joe Johnson.

“One of the biggest takeaways from last year’s Mental Health Expo was the opportunity for participating organizations to network,” Johnson said. “Many organizations were not previously aware of each other, making the event a valuable experience for building connections and facilitating referrals.”

Last year’s event saw documented successes.

“We learned that many attendees followed up with the organizations they connected with at the event. For example, a person struggling with alcohol use attended Recovery Alive and Alcohol Anonymous meetings and has not had a drink since; May 13, 2025, that person will be sober one year. An 82-year-old individual followed up with a Fare Thee Wellness Massage and began hormone treatment with Alternative Aging, reporting increased energy and zest for life. Another attendee in their 30s connected with services to assist with anxiety. All participating organizations continue to assist individuals daily with various mental health issues, including addictions, anxiety, anger, trauma, guilt, shame, emotional boundaries and control, to name a few,” Johnson said.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five American adults experiences mental illness and one in six American children ages 6-17 experiences a mental health disorder each year. Half of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 and 75% begins by age 24.

The Rotary Club received a $1,000 grant from Goodwill Insurance Co. for the event, and Smithfield-based Walls Insurance Agency matched the grant. This year, the club rented the entire Smithfield Center to accommodate more organizations, Johnson said. Yan’s Yard Fish food truck will also be on site to offer food.

The club has also been working to get the word out by presenting to eight other civic clubs and sending letters to places of worship and local homeowners associations.

“We currently have 49 organizations participating in the 2025 Mental Health Expo, ‘Live Your Best Life,’ with seven additional organizations on the waitlist due to space constraints,” Johnson said. 

The participating organizations represent a range of services, including counseling, hospitals and mental health treatment facilities, recovery programs, alternative therapeutic services, financial assistance, nutrition and wellness services and senior and veteran services.

The event is free to attend and open to everyone. It’s not focused on any particular disorder or behavior.

“We all face mental health and physical challenges; building our strength and resilience helps us navigate these challenges more effectively,” Johnson said. “Mental health, like physical health, is influenced by genetics, environment, circumstances, and personal habits and behaviors.”

The Mental Health Expo is one of more than a dozen initiatives and programs overseen by the Rotary Club. Others include supporting the three annual festivals Smithfield VA Events hosts on the manor house grounds at Windsor Castle Park, highway cleanup, landscaping and maintenance at Smithfield’s Evergreen Cemetery, suicide prevention, the Tour de Cure diabetes awareness bicycle ride and sponsoring the Smithfield High School Rotary Interact Club and Scout Troop 3 and Sea Scout Ship 37.