We were lucky to catch up with Carissa Henry recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carissa, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from my grandmother, who has been the foundation of my life. When my parents had me, they were young, and my grandmother stepped in and took on the role of raising me. She has always been a trailblazer, someone who didn’t shy away from challenging the status quo or pushing boundaries. Growing up, I watched her work tirelessly daily, balancing numerous responsibilities and making personal sacrifices to ensure our family had what we needed. She taught me so much about strength, dedication, and perseverance through her words and, more importantly, her actions.
Her ability to confront and overcome obstacles, even during the most challenging times, showed me resilience isn’t about sidestepping hardship. It’s about facing it head-on with unwavering determination and heart. She ensured I understood that setbacks are not defeats but opportunities to grow stronger and wiser. Seeing her strength and grit firsthand, I learned resilience means believing in yourself even when the odds seem stacked against you.
My grandmother’s example inspires me daily to stay strong and keep moving forward, regardless of the challenges that come my way. Her legacy of courage, hard work, and resilience is something I carry with me, shaping who I am and guiding me through every stage of my life.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
At MH Boxes, we are deeply passionate about making mental health resources accessible, relatable, and culturally resonant for Black adolescent girls. MH Boxes is more than a care package—it’s a support system in a box, carefully filled with items like journals, self-care essentials, affirmations, and other wellness tools to help young girls care for their mental health and nurture a strong sense of self-worth. We want each girl who receives an MH Box to feel seen, valued, and connected, knowing they are not alone in their mental health journey.
MH Boxes began in January 2024 when my daughter, Mila, was awarded a microgrant from the Pete and Thomas Foundation through the Black Girl Joy Challenge. With that funding, Mila created mental health care boxes for girls in her community. This initiative stems from her personal experiences with mental health and a desire to support girls facing similar challenges. I am honored to co-found MH Boxes with Mila, my 13-year-old daughter, whose insights on the unique pressures Black girls face guide our mission and vision. Mila’s experience as a biracial Black girl, along with her understanding of the disparities in mental health conversations within Black families, forms the foundation of our work. At MH Boxes, we believe those who have lived the experience are best suited to lead the change. Our community-led approach keeps our work impactful and relevant to those we serve.
What excites me most about MH Boxes is the intentionality that goes into each box. Each item is selected with an understanding of the challenges Black girls face—from societal pressures to racial discrimination and identity challenges. We aim to bridge the gap in mental health resources that are often not culturally relevant, showing young girls they are valued and supported, especially during difficult times.
Since launching, we’ve delivered over 1,100 care packages and are thrilled about our growth! We are currently partnering with schools, community centers, and youth organizations to expand our reach, and we’re actively seeking collaborations in other states to reach even more girls.
We are developing a peer support and mentorship network to allow girls who’ve received boxes to connect, and we’re exploring digital spaces where they can openly discuss their mental health experiences. One of our “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” (BHAGs) is to provide financial support to families for mental health treatment and scholarships for Black girls pursuing careers in mental health—especially significant given that only 2% of all mental health providers are Black women. This lack of representation often makes Black girls feel alienated from the mental health system, and MH Boxes is working to fill this gap by providing culturally relevant resources that can help reduce the stigma and encourage help-seeking behavior.
By centering Black girls in our mission, we are contributing to a future where mental health support is inclusive and accessible to all. As MH Boxes continues to grow, we remain driven by the desire to inspire, uplift, and make a lasting impact.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, the three qualities that had the biggest impact on my journey are resilience, challenging the status quo, and passion.
Resilience has been a foundational quality for me, especially when the journey is tough or unpredictable. Building MH Boxes required pushing through many obstacles, from limited resources to navigating complex systems, and resilience allowed me to keep going even when things got challenging.
Advice: Start small by setting personal goals and pushing through setbacks. Building resilience is a gradual process; celebrate your small wins and remember that each challenge is an opportunity to grow.
Challenging the Status Quo
Questioning the way things are and envisioning how they could be has been essential, especially in mental health, where systemic barriers often go unchallenged. This approach inspired MH Boxes to create resources that center Black girls in ways mainstream support often overlooks.
Advice: Be curious and question the norms in your field. Research the history of issues you care about, talk to others, and listen to those impacted to understand what could be improved. Innovation often starts by challenging assumptions and recognizing that there’s always room for positive change.
Passion has fueled my commitment to MH Boxes and my drive to expand its impact. It’s why I’m so dedicated to supporting Black girls’ mental health and why I feel strongly about the importance of culturally relevant resources. Passion gives you purpose and connects you to the people you’re helping.
Advice: To find and nurture your passion, think deeply about what matters most to you and try new experiences that align with your interests. Follow that energy and get involved in communities or projects you care about. Passion grows stronger when it’s shared, so build a network of people who support your vision.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
The number one challenge we face right now is securing funding to sustain and expand MH Boxes, despite extensive data that clearly shows the urgent need for culturally relevant mental health support for Black girls. The statistics are compelling: Black girls experience higher rates of depression and anxiety, often worsened by racial discrimination, societal expectations, and underrepresentation in the mental health field. Yet, there remains a significant gap in funding for women-led nonprofits, especially those focused on supporting girls of color. This lack of investment reflects broader issues in how equity and equality are understood in philanthropic circles.
Equity means providing resources that meet people where they are, tailored to their specific challenges and needs; equality, on the other hand, implies equal resources across the board, which doesn’t address systemic disadvantages. Black girls face unique mental health barriers, and equality alone doesn’t offer the culturally competent, intersectional support that’s required. Because MH Boxes is led by women and centers on empowering Black girls, our organization often struggles to find funders who are truly committed to advancing equity. The disparity in funding for women-led nonprofits that focus on girls, particularly Black girls, speaks to a larger issue of overlooked voices and unmet needs in mental health advocacy.
To overcome this challenge, we are taking several steps. First, we’re actively building partnerships with organizations that share our commitment to equity, hoping to reach funders with a broader understanding of diverse needs. Second, we are amplifying our impact stories and data to show the real-life transformations MH Boxes makes possible, demonstrating not only the demand but also the effectiveness of our work. Lastly, we’re educating our potential funders on the importance of equity-based giving. Our goal is to help funders see that, by supporting MH Boxes, they’re addressing a critical need and helping to build a more inclusive mental health system that truly supports every young girl.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mhboxes.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mhboxes
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mh-boxes
- Other: https://linktr.ee/mh_boxes
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