Game Changer: How 45 People, One Room, and a Whole Lot of Community Shifted the Narrative on Mental Health
On May 31, 2025, at the Madison Community Center we changed the game!
Ever wonder what happens when you put 45 people in a room and give them permission to simply be human?
You get something powerful. Something honest. Something game-changing.
This year marked the 3rd Annual Mental Health Event hosted by The Covenant Apparel, and for the first time, we stripped everything back to its core. No panels. No long speeches. No spectators.
Just people. Working together. Healing together. And somehow that alone, made it the most impact year yet.
This Wasn't Just An Event, This Was A Space
From the moment people walked into the Community Center, the energy shifted.
It was lively, heart-warming, and truly game-changing (I know I'm using this a lot but it is the perfect descriptor).
There were no awkward silences or walls between strangers. Conversations and collaboration sparked quickly. Laughter echoed as memories were forged. People truly leaned in.
It's almost as if everyone knew that this wasn't a place you had to perform, but a place to participate and be free.
And that was intentional.
At Covenant, we believe mental health isn't something you just talk about. It's something you must practice. Together.
The Experience: Learning By Doing
Instead of sitting down and listening, every participant rotated through fiver interactive stations, each centered around a fictional character with real-life challenges.
Small groups collaborate to problem-solve and build solutions as a community.
Routine: Groups helped a character design a realistic daily routine, ranking priorities and realizing how differently we all spend the same 24 hours.
Habits: Groups restructured unhealthy patterns and built action plans aligned with personal goals.
Environment: Groups chose strategies to transform a character's physical space and mindset. Proving that sometimes small environmental shifts can yield to big internal changes.
Support: Groups picked the best "ingredients" for connection, helping a character who had just moved to a new city find belonging.
Triggers: Groups identified mental health triggers and had to match them with corresponding healthier coping mechanisms, turning awareness into action.
There was one underlying theme in every group and in every station...
Community.
Every challenge required collaboration, every solution required listening, and every breakthrough happened together.
That was the lesson: You don't have to navigate life and its troubles alone.
Real Impact. Real Voices.
This year, roughly 45 attendees showed up.
10 sponsors and partners supported the mission.
And countless meaningful conversations unfolded.
Here's what some of them had to say:
"Game Changer was a beautiful experience."
"Very powerful things were discussed. Thank you for this."
"I finally felt seen in this community."
"The activities challenged my brain, I can't wait for next year."
"A much needed event."
To me, attendees didn't just leave with information. They left with Community, Support, Reinforcement, Strength, Belief, and Inspiration.
These things cannot always be measured, but they sure could be felt.
Partners In Impact
This year's event wouldn't be possible without the incredible organizations and creatives who believed in the importance of this in our communities.
- Metro Parks & Recreation
- Inner Circle
- WithPurpose Foundation
- Arius Juan
- I Am Well Consulting
- The Elijah Horton Foundation
- Your Perfect Rose
- CoachSha
- 6FrameVisuals
- Mya.Motives
Special thanks to: $hrames for hooking us up with the sound equipment, Jyou (Inner Circle) for curating the tunes, Alexis (WithPurpose Foundation) for helping everyone build custom journals to take home, Maryam (I Am Well Consulting) for extending mental health services, and Kanika (The Elijah Horton Foundation) for providing refreshments!
Your support helped transform a vision into a lived experience. Thank you!
Personal Note from Me
This event has always meant a great deal to me.
But this year hit differently as it fell on the anniversary of my late father's passing. He taught me the importance of mental health and strengthening your mind, building your resilience, and the importance of exploring life with intention. So being able to create a space where people could come together, grow, and access that aren't typically accessible to us felt aligning.
This day was comforting because you all gave me community just as much as I gave it to you all. Everyone's willingness to show up, engage, and support one another reminded me exactly why this must continue!
We all have to play the game of life, but only with the right support system can we truly change the outcome.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Game Changer truly proved that when we choose community, we all win.
All Images Captured by Lance Jackson (6FrameVisuals).
