The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBT / GLBT / LGBTQ) youth. Learn More
Cause Bulletin
VOTE for SUICIDE PREVENTION
For every parent, pastor or teacher who rejects a child based on sexual orientation or gender identity, there's a Trevor Helpline counselor who embraces her and commends her bravery. Your vote says: "you're valuable" to youth who have been told otherwise. It takes one click to make a difference: http://bit.ly/votetrevor. ★
Donate Fundraising Project: Raise $1,500 for the distributio...
Project Cost: $1,500
$2,098 raisedby 1 cause
Raise $1,500 for the distribution of 150 Survival Kits!
Your donation goes to fund this project organized by:
The Trevor Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Deadline: Jan 1
When representatives from The Trevor Project are unable to conduct workshops in person, the Trevor Survival Kit is an invaluable resource for educators and youth service providers. The kit is available free of charge to all educators and youth service providers and allows them to self-facilitate discussions about suicide, gender identity and sexual orientation with young people in their classrooms or programs. Our Survival Kit has been distributed to schools and youth service organizations in all 50 states. Each Survival Kit contains a copy of The Trevor Project’s Workshop Guide, a copy of the film, Trevor, which can be used in conjunction with the guide, handouts about The Trevor Helpline, “Dear Trevor” and TrevorSpace, a resource guide for educators, a media guide for LGBTQ youth, and stickers or other fun items for young people.
$1,500 will fund the production of 150 Survival Kits. With demand growing every year, this funding is critical to continue our nationwide outreach.
Happy Holidays,
The Trevor Project
55 members donated
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donated $15. 22 days ago |
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donated $10. 23 days ago |
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Recent Cause Activity
IN MEMORY OF MY SON BEN: For The Trevor Project: Good evening! My name is Kimra Martin.
I am not a comedian, entertainer or academy award winner. I am not someone you have heard of and probably you will have forgotten my name tomorrow. But I hope you will remember what I am going to share with you. Because this evening I have the responsibility of sharing some good news and some bad news.
Let’s get the hard part over with first.
The bad news is that earlier this year on Friday, February 20th at approximately 4:30 p.m. I got the news that my precious son Benjamin had taken his life.
Benjamin was not only a son…. He was my best friend. And this year I had to write the eulogy for my son’s funeral. To give you feel for Benjamin… let me read an excerpt from his eulogy, my final words to my son.
Benjamin, Once you were born… you demanded full time attention. The slightest discomfort had you squalling and heaven forbid I lay you down… no – you wanted to be constantly in my arms… the center of my universe. Yet, still I did not understand you completely…. In kindergarten your teacher asked to speak with me…. I should have known then… she brought me into your classroom and laid out some pictures you had colored. I looked at them and smiled they were so bright and cheerful! She said to me, ‘Kimra you need to see these, Ben is coloring everything in rainbows, (as though there was something wrong with that).’ I laughed and said to her ‘ well, yes, he likes Rainbows!.
When Benjamin came out that he was gay, his letter to me asked if I would still love him…. it broke my heart that he would ask such a thing. I quickly assured him that nothing had changed. I loved him and always would.
My love and acceptance was not enough… he struggled frequently with depression and had attempted suicide on several occasions over the years. His constant struggle was a life search for acceptance and love.
As a mother I taught my children that when they are struggling in life, it is important to have a mentor – but it is equally important to have others you are mentoring or helping. In helping others… you can heal yourself. Call it Karma, law of attraction, reciprocity… but good begets good. I often encouraged Ben to find an outlet. He tried a few avenues and support groups… but he frequently complained that everyone there was too old or were homeless and that only added to his depression.
People can argue about political or moral convictions when it comes to the LGBT-Q community… but something they cannot argue is the fact that LGBT-Q youth are at a 4 times greater risk of suicide than their heterosexual peers.
Well…. Now you know… and knowledge brings power. The good news is… that you have the power to help save a life. As a matter of fact 95% of all suicides are preventable.
You have the knowledge and power to join hands with Trevor and empower them.
I believe if we had known about the Trevor Project 1, 2 or even 3 years ago…. We may still have had Benjamin here with us today….. he would have loved to help… to have been a part of making a difference. Ben was studying and planning to get into a career of Psychology so that he could work with the LGBT-Q community. He WANTED to HELP….. he wanted to find a way to help others avoid the struggles he was going through.
So, as part of my bucket list for Ben…. My goal for 2010 is to give at the Trevor Mentor level. I want to find a way to make a difference… to bring hope in the midst of my grief.
Starting on March 1st 2010…. All of the firsts will be over with… I have made it through my first Mothers Day without him, My birthday without him, his birthday 2 months ago without him, then we had Thanksgiving without him… his grandmothers 70th birthday is this week… then Christmas and finally February 20th 2010 we will have the first anniversary of his passing. So for me…. March 1st 2010 is going to begin my year of JOY. I have told my family and friends that I have made a proclamation that yes… the tears will still fall…. My mothers heart will still ache… but I will fight through the darkness and find the joy of life left to live.
Tonight I am here in memory of Ben and other youth who have taken their lives because they felt alone.
I am just one voice… but tonight together we can shed light on a dark world.
So, tomorrow when you cannot remember MY name. Remember that you have the knowledge and power to make the difference…. The difference that can save a life.
Donated $10 via the Causes app. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside... weird.
My beautiful son Josh committed suicide on January 7, 2009...This cause is wonderful and needs to be promoted....This cause would have been something that Josh would have joined.