(ABC 6 News) – As we get closer and closer to the holidays, one mental health organization in our area is making sure everyone feels supported during the holidays.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Southeast Minnesota, or NAMI, is working with a Rochester robotics team to put together over 300 gift bags to people spending their holiday season in an inpatient psychiatric unit or residential mental health treatment facility.

The bags are for kids and adults. Bags will include a wide variety of gifts bound to make anyone smile.

“This type of drive is really beneficial because they feel the holiday cheer that they might not be able to get because they’re not in the community setting,” Kirsten Zarling, volunteer community relations specialist for NAMI said.

10 communities from our area are benefitting from this.

For Tim Alexander, organizer of the Inconceivable Robotics team, spotlighting mental health during this time is crucial. According to Alexander, many of his students deal with mental health struggles at Rochester Public Schools.

“The more we can do to support mental health and make it more out there and known that there is people out there that struggle the better off we all are,” Alexander said.

The robotics team will pack the gift bags together with NAMI next week to be delivered in time for the holiday season.

Students from the Byron Intermediate School decorated the bags.

If you would like to make a donation to NAMI, CLICK HERE.

For more information on NAMI, CLICK HERE.