13minutes

The Kim Foundation, along with Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare, is excited to announce our new public awareness campaign focused on suicide prevention. On average, someone dies by suicide in the U.S. every 13 minutes. Taking this into account, and the overwhelming effect it has on our community, we are excited to announce the launch of the 13minutes campaign in the Region 6 area mid-August, just in time for back to school. The campaign will start the conversation about suicide prevention and instill the belief in the community that suicide can impact anyone from any background; so all community members should arm themselves with information on the warning signs and learn what to do if they or someone they love is having thoughts of suicide or displaying some of the warning signs.

Most of the information will be captured on the website, which will serve as a one-stop shop for what warning signs to watch for, examples of what those signs may look like in real life situations, how to have the conversation with someone you may think is showing signs of suicidal behavior, community and national resources that you can connect someone with to get help, videos, and much more. The campaign will also include public service announcements on WOWT Channel 6, public events, presentations, digital marketing, and so much more as the opportunities over the next few months arise.

We are excited to partner with Maha Music Festival http://www.mahamusicfestival.com/ to kick off this initiative, as they have decide to make mental health and suicide prevention awareness a priority for their annual festival on August 20^th at Stinson Park. The Community Village will consist of several local organizations that provide mental health resources, and 13minute volunteers will be on hand to distribute bracelets, provide information, and let the community know how they can get involved and help spread the word! We commend Maha for embracing the importance of such a crucial topic that is too often overlooked by those in the community who are in a position to impact change. A big shout out to Lauren Schomburg, Leslie Spethman, and the rest of the Maha Board for making this happen!

If you would like more information on 13minutes and to learn how you can get involved, please feel free to reach out to me at jhebenstreit@thekimfoundation.org or 402.891.6997. We are truly humbled by the outpouring of support we have received from Region 6, several area school districts, and law enforcement agencies in support of these efforts. We truly believe that by raising more awareness in the community about suicide prevention and what individuals can do to help others, we will save more lives in our community. Join us, and watch for more next month!

Julia Hebenstreit, Executive Director of The Kim Foundation

Julia Hebenstreit is the Executive Director of The Kim Foundation. She received her J.D. from Creighton University in 2005, and her BS in Journalism from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2002. She has been with The Kim Foundation since 2011, and prior to that worked for local non-profits doing development, strategic planning, communications and advancement. She has a passion for helping people and improving lives, and serves on the Executive Committee for Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations, as the 2015 Hill Day State Captain for the state of Nebraska, and as an active member of the Nebraska Suicide Prevention Coalition, the Early Childhood Mental Health Coalition, BHECN Advisory Committee, RESPECT Advisory Board, Connections Advisory Board and the Project Propel Planning Group.