Erika's Lighthouse is an amazing organization that raises awareness of teen depression, and empowers teens to take control of their mental health. They create middle school and high school teen depression awareness programs to help educators and teens create safe spaces, learn about depression, and know they are never alone.
This organization is important to me, as I think it's a fabulous model for what should be available to all teens, and what I wish had been available to my peers and me. I remember, in high school and college, how many of my friends struggled with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self harm, and eating disorders. This problem has only intensified, in part due to the pandemic, increases in gun violence, attacks on queer and trans youth, climate change, and the prevalence of social media. I was particularly disturbed by the recent article in The Atlantic, on high rates of anxiety and depression in teenage girls. Undoubtedly, this dire issue requires much more than funds directed at relevant charities. Nonetheless, fundraising -- especially for local organizations -- is an important step.
If you’d like to help, you can visit my page and make a donation here: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/teamresilience2023/account/1486045/donate/. If you know anyone else who might be interested in donating, or learning more about Erika's Lighthouse, please feel free to forward this email to them.
Thank you so much for helping me reach my goal, and for supporting Erika's Lighthouse.