The world’s largest event raising funds and awareness for the mental health of new families.
We gather as a community to walk and socialize. We meet fellow survivors, supporters & providers.
#climbout
Use the map to find and join a team near you!
JOIN A TEAM: Click on a pin and follow the link
Don’t see a Climb near you?
Write to Emily at cotd@postpartum.net.
Sponsor a Climb
How will sponsoring a Climb Out of the Darkness event help new families who are suffering from mood and anxiety disorders? PSI’s programs support families world wide! Here is a snapshot of what we do:
The Climb Out of the Darkness is the world’s largest event raising funds and awareness for the mental health of new families operated by Postpartum Support International. The Climb is a community walk and international fundraiser for survivors, providers, and members of the community to come together.
Raising awareness for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, The Climb brings our community together to shine a light on a darkness we often don’t speak about. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth.
We share stories of hope and celebrate recovery as we gather together to raise money, raise awareness and give a voice to those who no longer have one and walk together to symbolize our ‘Climb’ Out of the Darkness.
We provide direct peer support to families, train professionals, and provide a bridge to connect them.
Lead a Climb
We are no longer taking on new Climb Leaders/Teams for 2021. What we are encouraging the folks who just missed the deadline (you are not the only one) to join a team near-ish them. Use this Climb Map to find a team near(ish) you and join it! Quite a bit of what goes into making a Climb is online /social media /promotion of the event and the cause which is done all year long. Watching a Climb team facebook page or group and engaging with the content is a great hands-on way to learn about the Climb.
Also, please fill out this 2022 Climb Leader Interest form to get our list for Leading a Climb next year..
Thank you so much for your interest in the Climb Out of the Darkness!
-The Climb Team.
The responsibilities associated with leading a Climb can be broken down into 6 parts.
- The Climb Out of the Darkness is a fundraiser for Postpartum Support International, it is also a fundraiser for community and state level initiatives that support the mental health of new families.
- Climb events build community. The events are free to attend and create peer support networks that stay connected all year long.
- The Climb (and it’s leaders) use social media to recruit participants and spread our messaging. We have a Climb Leader Facebook group where we share ideas and encourage each other throughout the year.
- We raise awareness by sharing statistics, news articles, research breakthroughs, personal stories, and even funny parenting memes.
- June 26 is Climb Day! Events are both in-person and online throughout the season (from Jan 1- June 26). Restaurant fundraisers, paint night, self-care or fitness workshops, and online community building events all can occur during the lead up to June 26.
- Logistics: We use a website for fundraising called CauseVox. A website needs to be made for each team and all participants need to register (free) as this gives participants access to the liability waiver.
*PSI and the Climb Staff provide support in all of these areas listed above. PSI does not reimburse for any expenses incurred in leading and planning a Climb event. We understand that this may be a limiting factor for some so we encourage you to schedule a meeting with the Climb Program Manager, Emily, to discuss specifics: calendly.com/cotd.
Here’s How the Money Flows
Many of our Climbers choose to fundraise, but it is not a requirement. However, for those choosing to raise money, you can be confident that all of the funds go to support and develop deserving projects and programs in communities around the world.
- PSI Global: We provide direct peer support to families, train professionals, and are a bridge between the two
- Perinatal Action Fund (PAF): Created to provide for underserved populations within the perinatal mood disorder community.
- PSI State Chapter: State Chapters further the mission of PSI on a statewide level. Each state is unique with its own systems, barriers to care and opportunities. By providing the structure and support of the Chapters program, PSI empowers advocates to create change in their own state.
- Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color: Also known as PMHA-POC, ‘The Alliance’ provides scholarships to BIPOC providers to receive training in perinatal mental health, offers professional development to BIPOC providers around perinatal mental health and is working towards having Representatives in all 50 states.
