Eric Martz ‘20 founded a non-profit, called Live To Tell, over the summer, to advocate for students in the district and to spread awareness about mental health issues. It is a non-profit made and run by students to help their peers struggling with mental health issues and to help the school, the district and the Legislature provide solutions that are beneficial to youth.
“I started Live To Tell because I have seen how mental health challenges exist everywhere in schools, no matter what one’s background or social groups are. I volunteer as a call worker for the Youthline in Portland, which is a teen to teen crisis hotline, and I’ve seen how many teenagers feel isolated and not empowered to reach out for help,” Martz said, “Especially given the many recent suicides in the district last year, I believe it’s necessary for the social climate among the student body to change so that this topic is actually talked about and destigmatized.”
Bringing this program to Salem is important because it gives kids a more local resource when they need help. In recent years, the school district has made many attempts to address mental health issues, some of which are successful and some of which are not. Live To Tell will provide the district with much needed student input. Beyond that, Salem is home to the Oregon Legislature, providing Live To Tell with opportunities to advocate for youth in the Legislature and empower youth across the community to advocate for themselves.
“I feel very passionate that everyone should be able to live their life to the fullest. I personally have someone in my family that has struggled with anxiety and depression and now I have another way to support them in the future,” Allison Hmura ‘20, Head of Outreach, said.
About one in five adults struggle with their mental health. With the large number of people that it affects, mental health and teen suicide are not talked about enough.
“This nonprofit is important because it is a city-wide effort to spread awareness and advocate for mental health and suicide prevention. There are no other types of student-led suicide prevention organizations in the state, but it’s so important that students are leading the conversation around mental health and suicide prevention among our peers,” Martz said.
High school can be a hard time for a lot of people and it is important that students are able to get the help they need. Live To Tell makes students heard about all the issues they are having regarding mental health plus it works to change policies to benefit the student body as a whole.
“Come to Saxon Strong meetings!! Saxon Strong is a chapter of Live To Tell, and is a great opportunity to speak up and change policies around South while also learning more about mental health and self-care.” Martz said.
In the South community, Live To Tell has restarted the Saxon Strong club. This will give youth at South, who are passionate about mental health issues, the opportunity to create change in their own school. Saxon Strong meetings are Fridays at 2:30, in the North library.
To get more information on Live To Tell and their work, you can go to their website
livetotellnonprofit.org.
