BLC gives back

The MEH (Mental Emotional Health) initiative began at Brookhaven Learning Center as a creative and meaningful way to support emotional well-being for both students and staff. The message is simple but powerful: “It’s okay to have a MEH day.”

As part of the program, students at BLC take part in every step of creating MEH t-shirts—from cutting vinyl with a Cricut machine to weeding designs, heat-pressing shirts, folding, and packaging the final product. These hands-on activities not only build vocational and life skills, but also give students a real sense of pride and purpose as they see their work spark meaningful conversations around mental health.

What started as a small project has grown into something much bigger. Staff members from other schools across ESBOCES have purchased MEH shirts to show their support. The shirts—and the message behind them—are now part of a growing agency-wide initiative to promote compassion, connection, and mental wellness throughout the district.

This year, MEH is proud to donate $700 of proceeds from shirt sales to the Employee Resource Foundation (ERF). The ERF provides financial assistance to ESBOCES employees facing unexpected financial hardship or traumatic life events. This donation is a way for the MEH program to give back to the very staff who help support our students every day—especially in their own times of need.