2022 Impact
In 2022, our third year since founding Gabriel’s Light, we are proud to report that our organization sustained existing efforts and launched new initiatives forwarding our mission to prevent youth suicide through education, cyber safety, and kindness campaigns. We are incredibly grateful for our loyal supporters and the many new donors that have helped us forward our important cause.
Since the pandemic, we are encouraged by the momentum around mental health. There is increased awareness, which leads to more discussion, improved policies, and practices to support those who are struggling. However, there is still so much work to do. Sadly, depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, and bullying are still prevalent and on the rise.
At a Fall 2022 Gabriel's Light high school presentation about mental health, the students were given anonymous referral cards to assess their own mental wellness. Three students asked to speak to a counselor the next day and 34 requested a counselor meeting within a week. Our grassroots efforts are helping identify kids at risk and connect them with the support they need.
2022 Highlights
Throughout the year, we continued to engage students with our mission through our Youth Ambassador Program and our Hoops for Hope FUNdraiser. We are connecting with more youth through school presentations and supporting families with free resource guides and webinars. We are thrilled to begin offering teen Mental Health First Aid, a program we will expand upon in 2023. Read more about our 2022 endeavors below.
Mental Health First Aid Training
One of our biggest new initiatives this year is the launch of teen Mental Health First Aid training. Students will learn how to identify peers struggling with mental health or substance abuse problems and know how to seek help. We understand that peer-to-peer support is one of the most effective ways to reach at-risk youth. We are thrilled to bring training to schools, after school programs & organizations for Chicago-area teens as we expand the program in 2023.
Working in Schools
This year, Gabriel's Light brought programs directly to schools focusing on mental health and suicide prevention education as well as bullying prevention and kindness campaigns. Kids helped spread kindness throughout their communities with posters, compliment cards, and Kindness Bingo.
Through our partnership with Elyssa's Mission, we continue to provide Hope Squad training, education and support in 11 schools, reaching over 8,000 students.
“Thank you so much for coming to talk to the kids. They already used all the small compliment cards to give kindness messages to each other. We need to print more!”
– Geordie, Middle School Program Director
Summer Camp Programs
For our second summer, we increased our summer programs partnering with additional camps to spread kindness and promote self-care and mental health awareness. We funded Purdue University counselors for two camps so that counselors and staff had mental health support throughout the summer.
Youth Ambassador Programs
Our Youth Ambassador Program continues to expand offering kids and teens a chance to learn transferrable skills while helping us forward our mission to prevent youth suicide. This year, our teens supported our Hoops for Hope fundraiser, planned and hosted their own summer fundraisers, and in October created kindness campaigns in their communities.
Free Resource Guides and Webinars
We created three resource guides this year: Loss after Suicide, How to Address Bullying, and Navigating a Mental Health Crisis. They are downloadable on our website. In October, we hosted a free Cyber Safety webinar for parents with Liz Repking of Cyber Safety Consulting. Thanks to the overwhelming positive response, we will expand our webinar series next year.
In the News
Throughout the year, we have been grateful for the news outlets that have helped us raise awareness for our cause. Our founder, Carol Deely, was interviewed on Fox Chicago, NBC5, WGN, CBS2, WBBM Newsradio, and . Twice, she was accompanied by one of our youth ambassadors! In addition, a personal essay about suicide prevention was featured in Chicago Parent.
Click below to watch the full CBS2 Interview with Youth Ambassador, Cambell Meszaros!
Other 2022 happenings…
Locally owned LUFT Balloons continues their support of the Deely Family with annual balloon bursts outside their home. LUFT also held a fundraiser this year in the family’s honor.
For the first time, in December 2022, Gabriel’s Light participated in “A Night at the Museum”. This event is put on by SocialWorks and Chance the Rapper as they reimagine the Museum of Science and Industry as a holiday wonderland! Guests engaged with 50+ event-only vendors, activations, performers, unique Chance opportunities, SocialWorks’ updates, and explored the 400K square foot museum and its exhibits after-hours! A Night at the Museum serves as a donation hub for SocialWorks’ Warmest Winter clothing drive, benefitting Chicagoans experiencing homelessness. All guests were encouraged to bring warming items – coats, scarves, gloves, toys, hygiene items, etc. – to help clothe the most individuals in need. Through thoughtfulness and unity, A Night at the Museum presents an evening filled with family-friendly fun and holiday cheer fueling SocialWorks’ annual Warmest Winter campaign.
2023 Is Looking Bright
With donor support, we can continue to expand our programming to reach more people, save lives, and support mental health.
Key Goals for 2023
Opportunities for Youth: High school students can sign up to be certified for Mental Health First Aid and youth grades four-twelve can join one of our Youth Ambassador programs. Email info@gabrielslight.org if you know of a youth interested in either program!
Connect us with your school, church, temple, athletic team, summer program, etc. If you think your school or any of these youth based organizations could use mental health education or a kindness program, please reach out to us and we can work directly with them.
Thanks to the positive response to our October cyber safety webinar, we hope to expand our webinar series in 2023.
Adding to our series of downloadable resource guides, we plan to create two brand new guides-Cyber Safety 2023 and Planning a Successful Fundraiser.
How can you help?
Donor support of Gabriel’s Light is truly helping save young lives. We have big plans for 2023. If you’d like to help us continue our important mission with a donation, please click on the DONATE button above.
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We never charge a fee for our work. If you know of a school, an after school program, an organization, or a potential youth ambassador that could use our services, please refer them to us by emailing us here.
About Gabriel's Light
In 2019, Carol and Brendan Deely founded Gabriel’s Light in honor of their son who died by suicide at age 12. In honor of Gabe and all those lost to suicide, they share their journey with the hope that others may learn and grow from their tragedy. Focusing on three pillars of cyber safety, suicide prevention, and kindness campaigns, through outreach, programs, partnerships, and funding, they raise awareness and inspire youth, parents, and educators to take action and help forward their mission.