Creating Space for Connection and Hope: YES Recognizes National Suicide Prevention Month

September gave us an opportunity to pause, connect, and put extra focus on mental health and suicide prevention at YES.

Throughout the month, youth and staff took part in activities designed to build awareness, encourage connection, and remind one another that support is always worth reaching for.

We kicked off the month with Connections & Coffee, where youth and staff gathered over breakfast, learned more about the month’s activities, and participated in an activity centered on hope, connection, and support.

YES also joined Chalk It Up for Brighter Tomorrows hosted by The Kim Foundation, a community awareness campaign encouraging people to share messages of hope and encouragement through sidewalk chalk. The simple act of putting hopeful words into the community offered a meaningful reminder that people matter and that support is within reach.

Youth and staff also had the opportunity to participate in suicide prevention training through Community Alliance, learning more about mental health, recognizing warning signs, suicide prevention, and how to access support for themselves or others.

These activities may look different from one another, but they share a common goal: creating more opportunities for people to connect, talk openly about mental health, and know where to turn when they need support.

At YES, supporting young people means caring for the whole person. We’re grateful to everyone who helped make September a month of connection, awareness, and hope—and we’ll carry those conversations forward long after the month has ended.