Join Us This Fall

At The Kim Foundation we have been extremely busy getting 13minutes.org off the ground and spreading the word about this suicide prevention awareness campaign. The positive response we’ve had to the campaign has been absolutely overwhelming, and we are so grateful to our partners who have made it possible.

We are also in the process of preparing for our annual fall luncheon, A Time for Hope & Healing, on November 9^th at Embassy Suites LaVista. This year the event will feature Dr. Thomas Joiner, a leading suicidologist and The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at Florida State University. His work is on the psychology, neurobiology, and treatment of suicidal behavior and related conditions. He has authored more than 500 peer-reviewed publications, and has received numerous prestigious awards for his work. He has written 17 books, including Why People Die By Suicide and Myths About Suicide, and has made numerous radio, print, and television appearances including the Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and the Dr. Phil Show. In addition to all of this, he runs a part-time clinical and consulting practice specializing in suicidal behavior, including legal consultation on suits involving death by suicide.

Dr. Joiner lost his father to suicide, so he brings a unique, compassionate perspective to his work. We are so excited to feature him as our keynote speaker, in addition to an extended session where Dr. Joiner will do a more in-depth look into his research, facilitate a survivor panel, and do a memorial activity for suicide survivors that will be a lasting memorial The Kim Foundation will feature at future events and through outreach efforts. Register now for the luncheon and extended session. If you have any questions regarding the event or are interested in sponsoring, please reach out to me at 402.891.6997 or jhebenstreit@thekimfoundation.org. We hope to see you there!

Have you seen the 13minutes PSA on WOWT yet? We are so thankful to our volunteers who took part in helping us share this important message! You all did a fabulous job in your acting debuts, and it is so incredible seeing this powerful message on television. You can check out the PSA on the website under the video tab. We are looking for ways to continue spreading the message that 13minutes embodies about suicide prevention, in terms of learning the warning signs, connecting people with resources, and changing the statistics and saving lives from suicide. If you have a group that you would like us to speak to or an event where a resource booth would be effective, please reach out to me and we will get it scheduled. Our hope is to reach everyone in the community with our message and start saving lives!

We attended a fantastic panel on human trafficking this month. Jill will be following up with this in an upcoming article, but this has become such a problem in our community and we are so grateful to the organizations willing to tackle this traumatic and sensitive issue for too many young women and men. The Set Me Free Project is partnering with Nonprofit Association of the Midlands to offer a training focused on collaboration, not competition, on September 15. It should be a great experience! For more information check it out here: http://www.nonprofitam.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=841069&group=.

We have so many wonderful partners in the community that foster this very spirit of leveraging experience and resources, instead of recreating the wheel or working in silos so that we can all better serve those impacted by mental illness and suicide. We know we couldn’t do what we do without all of you – so thank you!

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.