What We Fund

The HOPEwalk is an event to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention through Honoring (those we have lost), Openness (to start the conversation to help eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide), Prevention, and Education.  The primary goal of the walk is to raise awareness.  Funds that are raised stay local to support suicide prevention programs and initiatives in and around Linn County that meet and support the goals and mission statement of the HOPEwalk.

Below are funded programs and partnerships from our past years. If you or an organization is interested in applying for grant funding through the HOPEwalk, please fill out the grant application available here. Completed forms can be mailed to the address in our footer below or emailed to [email protected].

2019
  • Continued to support a local support group for youth who have lost someone to suicide 
  • Continued to supply information packets for families who have lost a loved one to suicide
  • Provided Foundation2 with a Day of Services Grant for the cost to run the Foundation2 crisis center for one day
  • Sponsored two grants to raise awareness; a banner for the Foundation2 building and a tealight grant to the Linn County Suicide Prevention Coalition for World Suicide Prevention Awareness Day
  • Helped sponsor the Beyond: Teens Moving Forward Presentation at Washington High School that brought Kevin Hines back to Cedar Rapids.  
  • Gave a grant to the Green Bandana Project for local high schools
  • Helped sponsor Unity Point’s Current Trends in Mental Health that brought Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas (an international mental health and suicide prevention speaker and author) to Cedar Rapids. 
2018
  • Continued to support a local support group for youth who have lost a loved one to suicide
  • Helped send local crisis center workers to the annual American Association of Suicidology National Convention
  • Brought the movie, “Suicide: A Ripple Effect” to Cedar Rapids for two showings in April
  • Brought Kevin Hines of “Suicide: A Ripple Effect,” to Cedar Rapids in person for a Lunch and Learn for professionals and a public presentation in September
  • Sponsored the Addressing Suicide in Our Communities and Congregations Conference for behavioral health providers and clergy
  • Sponsored Miss Iowa 2018 with her mission to speak on bullying, mental health, and suicide in local schools
  • Continue to supply packets of information for funeral homes to give to families who lost a loved one to suicide
2017
  • Continued to support a local support group for youth who have lost a loved one to suicide
  • Helped send four local crisis center workers to the annual American Association of Suicidology National Convention
  • Helped support the Symposium of Hope: Finding Your Role in Suicide Prevention in Cedar Rapids
  • Sponsored Unity Point’s Trends In Mental Health Conference and brought Tom Joyner to speak at the conference
  • Brought Marc Mero to Linn Mar schools to speak about bullying and suicide
  • Continue to supply packets of information for funeral homes to give to families who lost a loved one to suicide
2016
  • Continued to support a local support group for youth who have lost a loved one to suicide
  • Helped send four local crisis center workers to the 50th annual American Association of Suicidology National Convention
  • Helped support the Suicide & Youth: A Symposium for Hope seminar in Cedar Rapids
  • Helped send someone to the AFSP Our Journey Continues.  A conference for long term survivors of suicide loss.
  • Continue to supply packets of information for funeral homes to give to families who lost a loved one to suicide
  • Supported the National Survivors of Suicide Loss Day presentation

 

2015
  • Helped send four local crisis center workers to the American Association of Suicidology National Convention
  • Continue to supply packets of information for funeral homes to give to families who lost a loved one to suicide
  • Planning to support the 2016 Survivors of Suicide Loss Day Presentation
  • Supporting a local support group for youth who have lost a loved one to suicide

 

2014
  • Helped fund a support group for students who suffer with depression and suicidal thoughts on the Coe College campus
  • Paid registration costs for three local crisis prevention workers from Foundation2 to attend the American Association of Suicidology national convention in Atlanta
  • Helped with travel and registration costs for the director of ASAC to attend the American Association of Suicidology national convention in Atlanta where she attended Training for Facilitation of an Attempt Survivors Support Group (a support group for individuals who have attempted suicide will then be formed in the community)
  • Helped bring Franklin Cook to the area to offer training to ASAC on suicide intervention skill development for substance abuse counselors and Foundation2 and community professionals on the nature of suicide grief and theories related to helping the bereaved
  • Helped put together a folder of information for families who have lost a loved one to suicide that funeral homes can hand out

The HOPEwalk is always looking for ways to raise awareness and promote suicide prevention and education.  If you or an organization would like to partner with the HOPEwalk, please contact us or apply for funding through our grant application.

Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions.