Youth-Led Mental Health Initiative Project Please Stay
In October 2021, Susannah Swindell founded Project Please Stay, a mental health awareness organization. The project is targeted towards teenagers and young adults. The goal of the organization is to create a community full of aware and supportive young adults, which will hopefully prevent future suicides.
The organization started after Susannah learned of the three suicides that occurred on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus. After witnessing the profound affect suicide has on the community she felt compelled to find a way to get involved. Having personally experienced the challenges of adjusting to a new high school, she empathized with those who may be going through similar struggles.
“Basically what we do is we try to be as loud as possible on social media just to provide that support for teenagers because it is such a difficult time going through high school and we don't want anyone to get the idea that they go through any of those difficult thoughts alone. Because the reality is that everybody goes through things like that and at some point in their lives,” said Swindell.
Currently the organization has chapters at eight different schools. The schools include Arendell Parrott Academy, Jacksonville High School, J.H. Rose High School, D.H. Conley High School, New Bern High School, North Lenoir High School, Greene Central High School, Epiphany School of Global Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the University of Georgia.
“Project Please Stay is a really unique project that’s somehow grown into something so big, it’s very empowering for everyone involved,” said Swindell.
Fundraising is the main goal the organization works toward. They used to fundraise primarily for the suicide lifeline, a national number (988), which is dedicated to providing assistance to those struggling with mental health. However, since the organization has grown, each chapter has the ability to fundraise to any mental health resource or organization they choose. To generate funds Project Please Stay sells t-shirts but, the organization aims to expand its merchandise line to generate more funds that can be donated to mental health organizations.
In August, the organization will host a two day workshop via zoom for all the chapters. It will include speakers such as a therapist who will discuss recognizing signs of struggle in others and offering assistance, and BJ Murphy, who will provide insights on leadership roles and motivating community involvement. On the second day of the workshop there are plans to have an in-person meet up of all chapter members. As the organization has grown many people throughout the various chapters have yet to meet one another. There are other fundraising plans in the works as each chapter will host its own events for the upcoming school year.
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