By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald

For anyone who’s battling any sort of mental-health issue, finding coping mechanisms, understanding, and help may be a constant struggle.

Even just knowing that someone cares could be a mood booster. And having a tangible item that you can hold and look at when you need a boost, may be even better.

Sydney Crawford, a junior at South Effingham High School, is the current Miss Springfield Outstanding Teen. Now on her journey to compete for the state title in June, Crawford’s Let the Art Speak community initiative has partnered with Rincon-based Fight the War Within foundation – both organizations work to de-stigmatize mental health and provide support for patients and care-givers.

The public is invited to come and create “worry stones.”

The two organizations are hosting a workshop on May 6, from 3-5 p.m. at the Herald Center, 1204 N. Columbia Ave., Rincon.

“We decided to do worry stones, which is bringing people together to create and paint these rocks,” Crawford said. “They can have motivational quotes on them and you keep it for yourself as long as you need. And then when you are ready, let it go. You give it to somebody else that may need it to hold on to it.” She added that the stones can also be randomly placed somewhere in public where they can be seen. If you see a worry stone that somehow speaks to you, you are welcome to keep it as long as necessary.

The Miss Springfield Outstanding Teen is affiliated with the teen division of the Miss America pageant. If Crawford wins the state title, she will go on to the Miss America Teen pageant in the fall.

The pageant is more than beauty and brains. Young ladies who endeavor this competition must also show a strong community tie. And Crawford is passionate about mental health.

“I want to be able to show people that you can use art as a coping mechanism. People struggle with so many things. Nowadays such as anxiety, depression, resentment, and isolation. Isolation was a big one when COVID started,” she explained. “So being able to go out and show people that you can use art to help you is huge.”

Crawford has done art presentations at Blandford and South Effingham elementary schools where she encouraged children to use various colors to express anger, sadness, and happiness. Her goal was to get the students “to experience and explore with their colors and use their imagination and put out onto the paper or canvas whatever it is how they're feeling.”

Art is also Crawford’s talent in the competition. She will do a “speed painting” – an impromptu creation on the stage in 90 seconds. She says she has an idea of what she’ll draw, but didn’t want to disclose it during the interview.

By partnering with Fight the War Within Foundation, Crawford hopes to help that organization’s mission in reaching military personnel and first responders, among others, dealing with mental health issues.

“We just relocated here to Rincon in December. We've been in (Richmond Hill) Georgia since 2020,” said Miranda Brigg’s, founder of Fight the War Within. “It just became very clear that community was a lot stronger here.

“I was completely blown away (by) the depth of understanding that she has about mental health. Kids today go through a lot, especially with COVID. So we came up with (worry stones). It was it's perfect for what we do,” Briggs added.

The May 6 event is free to the public, but Briggs and Crawford are looking for sponsors. For more information, click on https://fightthewarwithin.org or email info@fightthewarwithin.org.