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Do It For Hunter

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You Matter Day September 21!

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Do It For Hunter

Suicide Awareness and Prevention

Dedicated to saving lives from suicide

by creating conversations,

providing life-saving resources

and spreading kindness.

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You Matter Day 2024!

Our community has been AH-MAZING! Visit our wrap up page!

Check It Out

Our Mission

To save lives from suicide by creating a platform for conversations, sharing life-saving resources, and by spreading light and kindness.

Our Vision

To bring the “You Matter” message across communities to allow those suffering from thoughts of suicide to know they are loved, and they matter in this world.

Board of Directors Meeting

Where It All Started – At The Kitchen Counter

We are just a group of friends who wanted to make something positive out of something awful. This is where it started, our first Board Meeting at the kitchen counter, with pizza and a vision to just save a life. We decided it’s ok to make mistakes, it’s ok to be a little scared, just breathe and ask for help. And that’s what our message is for those struggling too! We’ve come a long way from our first meeting, but we have so much more we want to accomplish.

Have a Seat…Let’s Talk

Merritt Island High School was the first recipient of our You Matter bench. It sits in the student commons area and has the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline engraved on it to help students at MIHS remember help is just a call or text away. Shout out to Eastern Florida State College! They allowed us to place a bench on EACH of their 4 campuses! In addition, Florida Tech’s Parent Leadership Council spearheaded the initiative to get suicide awareness benches placed throughout their campus!

More benches are on their way in our local Brevard County parks. If you would like to donate toward a bench, click the Donate button.

Bench Wish List:

  • UCF
  • Other area Brevard schools
Donate To A Bench
Bench Collage

988 Lifeline Stickers on All Brevard Public Schools Laptops

Brevard Public Schools took a giant step in supporting our You Matter movement by allowing us to put a 988 Lifeline sticker on all student laptops throughout the school district. Do It For Hunter distributed 75,000 stickers to all the principals on January 11 and shared the “why” behind the movement. Thank you BPS for being the first school district to make such an important life saving step.

Superintendent Gets Dunked for Suicide Awareness

Dr. Rendell, Superintendent for Brevard Public Schools volunteered in the dunk take at our 2024 You Matter Day at Merritt Island High School.

“Thank you so much for including us in the event. The community support is a reflection of the importance of the the efforts you and your team are making to help all of our young people feel valued. you mater is a simple but extremely powerful message. Any amount of time and effort we can contribute is quite small compared to what you have poured into this effort.” Dr. Rendell, Superintendent of Brevard Public Schools

Let’s work Together to Strengthen Our Communities and Change the statistics


We are a grassroots group of family and friends working together, working local, working with a heart.

Meet Our Volunteer Board

kids on stage presenting donation check

Encore Performance Company Dances and Donates

Hundreds of hours went into learning the show A Dance Beyond the Reef. These dancers from Encore Performance Company in Merritt Island poured their heart into this performance, which included singing, acting and dancing. It was not only beyond the reef, but BEYOND AMAZING! They donated half of all money raised from this show to Do It For Hunter, amounting to over $6,000! They chose us for their charity this year out of love and the work that we do right here in our community. I’m STILL blown away. Thank you does not say enough to all the people who dedicated so much time and talent. But thank you from our hearts.

Walnut Hills Elementary in Michigan Hosts You Matter Day

The “Bloom” after school club put on their first annual You Matter Day to spread important uplifting messages throughout the school. Bloom is a dedicated group of 5th grade girls who are dedicated to encouraging young girls to help them feel proud of who they are. Do It For Hunter Board Member Teresa Nord, her Bloom girls and the Walnut Hills staff organized the day with special messages for the students throughout the day, including posting positive messages on every locker, read alouds throughout the day, and so much more. The school was filled with positive messages and the colors purple and teal took over the school. Thank you Teresa, Bloom and Walnut Hills for helping to share the You Matter message!

Merritt Island Christmas Parade

This amazing group of friends and family spread the You Matter message in this year’s Merritt Island Christmas Parade. We passed out hundreds of stickers, bracelets and thousands of pieces of candy to our community as we paraded down Courtenay Parkway with our message. Bailey, Hunter, and all the names on our giant ribbon were remembered and honored, and hopefully just one person got the message they needed to hold on and get help.

FAU Honors Campus Forms Do It For Hunter Club

Abbie Sheppard graduated from Edgewood Jr. Sr. High and is currently studying neuroscience and Mathematics as part of a BS/MD program at the FAU Honors College in Jupiter, FL. On top of her strenuous college classes, she volunteers as a crisis counselor on the 988 Crisis Text Line. Abbie started the Do It For Hunter Club at FAU to educate her local community about the topic of suicide and mental health. She supports our mission of spreading awareness of the 988 suicide hotline as a method that could someday save a life. More than 30 students so far have signed up for the club which plans to have activities around suicide awareness and mental health for the students. And she is planning an on-campus You Matter event for the students at FAU. How awesome is THAT!

“You Matter Night at Mustang Stadium

Recap

Thanks to everyone who came out to support our first ever purple out for suicide awareness at the O-Dome. From the cheerleaders to the band, to the players and everyone who wore purple, thank you for showing support and helping to spread awareness.

Audubon Elementary road sign reading You Matter

Bringing You Matter to our Neighborhoods

It’s more than just words. “You Matter” is a movement we’ve started to make sure everyone knows they mean the world to someone. We feel if we save just one life, then we’ve done our job. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! We are sharing resources and positive messages!

You Matter stickers bracelets

the

“You Matter” message

We love handing out our stickers and bracelets. They are always FREE! We are able to do this because of our generous donors. Ask about getting some for your class or organization.

Volleyball game

Purple Out Volleyball at MIHS

Thank you to the Lady Mustangs Volleyball team for supporting Do It For Hunter and hosting a Purple Out in support of suicide awareness. The MIHS gym turned purple for the night covered in purple and teal balloons. Special thanks to everyone who put this together!

people with green bench

Suicide Awareness Benches at All EFSC Campuses

Thank you to Eastern Florida State College for allowing us to place a Suicide Awareness bench at EACH of its 4 campuses in Brevard County. These benches were donated from donations received through the Do It For Hunter organization.

group of people with You Matter signs

Mom Hugs At UCF

The University of Central Florida students were greeted to a special surprise on November 6th when the You Matter Mom Squad showed up offering free hugs on campus! This was coordinated with the campus Wellness and Recreation Center. Some international students hadn’t seen their parents in a year or more, while some had seen their parents just a week ago. All were given free You Matter stickers and wristbands with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number.

Group of hands wearing bracelets

Free Stickers & Bracelets

Donate Today and Be a Part of Saving A Life

Do It for Hunter hosts “You Matter” events throughout Merritt Island and the surrounding communities. We have distributed thousands of our signature teal bracelets and round “You Matter” stickers with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number. Look for our stickers everywhere! (It’s kinda like a scavenger hunt!) We’ve spread awareness by participating in the Merritt Island Christmas Parade, we partner with Sources of Strength at MIHS, and we’ve purchased suicide awareness benches for Merritt Island High and all four campuses of Eastern Florida State College. But we have SO MUCH more to do. It’s all about saving just one life. It matters.

2024 Goals:

  • Host “You Matter” days at Merritt Island schools
  • Host 2nd Annual “You Matter” day in Merritt Island
  • Distribute free stickers and bracelets to youth
  • Host free “You Matter Teen Night”
  • Suicide Awareness Benches at additional schools
  • Participate in the Merritt Island Christmas Parade and win 1st place this time! (we’re a little competitive…)
  • Donate via Venmo, gofundme, PayPal with debit or credit card, or by check made payable to Do It For Hunter, Inc, (mail to 1655 Yates Dr. Merritt Island, FL 32952)
PayPal
Gofundme

Looking for help? Check out these

Resources

More to come!

These are provided as a courtesy. Do It For Hunter, Inc. does not sponsor or endorse any organization.

988 logo

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Provides prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. Call or TEXT 988

211 Brevard logo community helpline and crisis lifeline

211 Brevard

Provides immediate assistance to Brevard residents and connects people to community resources in times of personal, financial and community crisis.

AFSP

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides resources for help, inspiration, real life stories, and statistics on suicide. Connect with a Chapter near you.

SAMHSA

 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. It provides help, resources, training and more.

Connect With SAMHSA

FloridaHealth. Gov

Provides information and resources for Florida residents including women’s and children’s health, disabilities, minority and community health, and much more.

Visit Floridahealth.gov

Mental Health America

Dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. Our work is informed, designed, and led by the lived experience of those most affected.

Go to MHA

Suicide Grief Support

Health First offers free suicide grief support sessions from 6-7:30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in Melbourne at 1131 W. New Haven Ave, and the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays in Merritt Island at 220 S Courtenay Pkwy. No registration required. Call 321-434-3008 for information.

Visit HF Support

Brevard Counseling

Brevard Counseling, LLC offers local counseling services in Brevard, including Play Therapy, Couples Counseling, Addictions and more, and is a proud supporter of Do It For Hunter. Call 321-323-9069.

Visit Brevard Counseling

True You Always

True You Always offers many types of counseling and life coaching services, and also is a proud supporter of Do It For Hunter. Call them at 321-613-8685

Visit True You Always

Womens Center of Brevard

Women’s Center of Brevard

Their mission is to help women, men & children who have faced trauma related to domestic violence, mental health and sexual assault.

Visit Their Site

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Just Breathe

You’ve Got This

Bring ” You Matter” To Your School
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Statistics

Let’s Help Change the Statistics

Home
Purple and teal ribbon that reads You Matter do it for Hunter and 988 suicide and crisis lifeline

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people age 15-24.

UCLA Health

Purple and teal ribbon that reads You Matter do it for Hunter and 988 suicide and crisis lifeline

Today, we will lose 12 people age 15-24 to suicide.

Purple and teal ribbon that reads You Matter do it for Hunter and 988 suicide and crisis lifeline

On average, 1,100 college students are lost to suicide in the United States each year.

Purple and teal ribbon that reads You Matter do it for Hunter and 988 suicide and crisis lifeline

Suicide has increased 60% since 2011 among US youth

CDC Report

Purple and teal ribbon that reads You Matter do it for Hunter and 988 suicide and crisis lifeline

22% of high school students surveyed said they had seriously considered suicide within the past year

PEWtrusts.org

NEWS

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