OUR CITY CARES

Joe and Sheryl Stephens were forever changed when they received the news that their son, Jon, had died by suicide. In the following year, their community experienced several suicides. Witnessing the shock and the devastation of their community, they were gripped with a question, "What can we do?" Suicide does not end the pain. It transfers that pain to those left behind; it impacts large numbers of people, leaving them with haunting questions, regrets, and a vicious cycle of complicated grief. The "would haves", "could haves", "should haves" and "how did we miss this?" dominate the thoughts of those left behind. The Stephens began their work by uniting their community in the fight against hopelessness and Our City Cares was born. Existing to unite communities in suicide prevention by bringing key entities together.