Meet Daily Light Point Price honored Niku Sedarat. Read his story and designate an exceptional volunteer or family as a daily point of light.
Mental health has become a recurring topic of discussion over the years, and Niku Sedarat is ready to dedicate her life to ensuring the dialogue continues. At just 17 years old, she’s decided to major in psychology when she starts college next year, but she’s already got a head start. As a participant in the Middle College program, she is completing the second half of her high school education at a local college, exploring the types of psychology courses she hopes to take.
Three years ago, after recognizing the mental health needs of her peers, she trained as a volunteer crisis counselor at the California Coalition for Youth. During her weekly four-hour shifts, she supports distressed youth who contact the California Youth Crisis Line. In addition, she founded Unité, an organization that destigmatizes mental health and promotes emotional resilience among young people.
With more than 2,000 active online subscribers and more than 165 volunteers across 20 states, Niku is on track to make a lasting impact.
What inspires you to volunteer?
We really need this in the community in the current state of our nation. We are in a youth mental health crisis. What better way to support people than to volunteer in a truly meaningful way, especially with the California Youth Crisis Line? It’s wonderful that you can help people who are struggling but reach out with hope and be able to turn that hope into something worth living for.
Tell us about your volunteer role with the California Coalition for Youth and Unity.
The California Coalition for Youth has a youth mental health crisis line. You can contact us when you are in a mental health crisis or struggling with other issues. I have been volunteering weekly as a crisis counselor for about three years. It’s online. I simply participate in discussions and calls and support the people who contact me. We completed 52 hours of training on topics like suicide prevention and other mental health issues, as well as how to support someone going through them.
I created Unity three years ago to destigmatize mental health problems, offer educational resources and raise awareness to help those who are struggling. Some examples of things we did: we partnered with a local pet shelter where I conducted stress-relieving activities alongside the cats and started a monthly mindfulness journaling challenge to promote personal care. I used my training as a crisis counselor to write articles and create infographics. This has also translated into my daily life by helping my peers, family members, and friends overcome their own challenges.
What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?
I’m always thinking of things to incorporate to better help the young people we’re trying to serve. At Unité, we try to make our articles and infographics more culturally inclusive by offering translated versions. Currently we have six different languages, but I think this will increase in the future.
What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
With the crisis line, the most rewarding thing is that people use it consistently. I take weekly shifts, so if there’s someone texting the crisis line every time I have a shift, that’s amazing. It’s great to know that people are making active efforts to improve their mental health and overall well-being.
For Unity, it is the community that we have been able to build with young people from different states. It’s cool to not really know people in person but still be united by passion and purpose. Also just ask people to read these articles and use these resources. Sometimes we receive messages on Instagram asking us to post an article on certain topics. I find it amazing that we can engage with the community and provide them with the support they are asking for.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
One of the main things is to believe that people know themselves best. When we think of people volunteering on crisis lines, we think of them actively providing advice, and that’s simply not the case. It’s hard to refrain from giving direct advice and allowing the person to take the wheel of their own life, but I was able to practice it during my time on the crisis line. The art of listening and thinking while supporting someone was a challenge at first, but it’s a skill I found very useful.
Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that excite you.
We are currently running a Send Hope for Unity postcard challenge campaign where we are creating cards with positive messages to distribute to hospitals and psychiatric units across the country. I’ve worked with a few hospitals and gotten schools and organizations to come together and create maps. The goal is to inspire hope in the mental health journey of others.
Why is it important for others to get involved in causes they care about?
It’s very rewarding to know that you are helping people and supporting their lives in a way that will give them an experience that they can have for the rest of their lives and that they can look back on with a smile. But it’s also important for all of us to volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to build community. It brings people together and creates unity. This is the main reason why I do it and I encourage others to do it too.
Any advice for people who want to get into volunteering?
If you are a student, take advantage of school clubs. Often they’re connected to larger organizations, so it’s a great way to get involved. Otherwise, contact organizations like the National Alliance of Mental Illness or Active Minds. The first step before doing anything is simply to educate yourself and raise awareness. This is the most important step, and it’s super accessible to do a Google search.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
If you see a problem in the community that you want to change, you can be that change. You don’t need to wait for someone else to do it. It’s possible. Just take it step by step.
Do you want to make a difference in your community like Niku? Find local volunteer opportunities.
