24 | AUGUST 19 • 2021

COURTESY OF MADELINE HALPERT

OUR COMMUNITY

T

he number of young
people lost to suicide
continues to rise, and
many continue to struggle.
There simply aren’t enough
effective support options for
this population. Garrett’s Space
aims to fill that gap.
Garrett’s Space, a suicide
prevention nonprofit founded
by Julie and Scott Halpert of
Ann Arbor after they lost their
precious son to suicide at age
23 in 2017, will be holding a
24-hour livestream fundraiser
beginning at 11 a.m. Sept. 3 and
ending at 11 a.m. Sept. 4 called
Go24forGarrett’sSpace.
Mental health issues are
widespread among young peo-
ple. A CDC survey of young
adults ages 18-24 during the
pandemic showed that 25% of
them had seriously considered
suicide during the prior 30 days.
Garrett’s Space is raising
money in support of its well-
ness program and to establish a
holistically focused residential
center for young adults strug-
gling with significant mental
health issues.
With the University of
Michigan Depression Center as
its partner, Garrett’s Space plans
to make its programming and
residential center models that
can be replicated nationwide.
The 24-hour livestream will
be filled with musical per-
formances, talks from inspi-
rational speakers, and yoga,
fitness and meditation classes.
There will be a roster of highly
accomplished Broadway and
television performers, including
Robert Ariza, a cast member
of Hamilton, Jo Ellen Pellman,
star of The Prom; Joe Serafini

of Disney’s High School Musical;
Oscar, Grammy, Tony and
Golden Globe Award-winning
songwriter Benj Pasek; Ashley
Park, a star of Emily in Paris, and
DeMarius Copes and Danny
Pino of the upcoming Dear Evan
Hansen film.
Andy Lassner, executive
producer of The Ellen DeGeneres
show; David Axelrod, senior
CNN political commentator;
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow
from Michigan; U.S. Rep. Jamie
Raskin of Maryland; and Abdul
El-Sayed, a podcast host, physi-
cian and former health director
in the city of Detroit, will speak.

RESTORING HOPE
Julie and Scott witnessed first-
hand the critical gaps in support
in our healthcare system for
struggling young adults who
need something more than reg-
ular visits to their therapist but
aren’t actively suicidal.
The Halperts are laser-fo-
cused on creating a holistically
focused residential center that
will be a haven for struggling
young adults, where they can
feel safe and supported and
establish critical connections.

They believe this type of place
might have helped restore
hope for their son, Garrett,
and, more importantly, that he
would have wanted to go to
this type of welcoming refuge.
The Halperts are convinced
the center will benefit many
young adults who are feeling
inadequate or are having dif-
ficulty navigating the compli-
cated and troubled world.
The center would include
the following types of support
and activities: individual and
group therapy; coping strategies
for difficult and broken rela-
tionships; peer-to-peer groups;
support for families; and an
extensive array of holistic activi-
ties focused on teaching healthy
behaviors and promoting
wellness, including meditation,
yoga, healthy cooking, art, jour-
naling and music.
The center will have a
non-medical feel; it will be
located in a place surround-
ed by nature, amid tranquil
woods with walking paths and
therapeutic pets. The residents
will be embraced by a warm
community of caring staff —
primarily social workers, with a
medical director.
Garrett’s Space currently
is providing a much-needed
support option to struggling
young adults through its
wellness group, where young
adults are gathering (currently
virtually) three days each week
for a support group with their
peers, a mood and movement
activity and an informal session
to connect over icebreakers and
games.
Head to www.garrettsspace.
org to join and donate.

Suicide Prevention Group Plans
Star-Studded Virtual Fundraiser

JN STAFF

Garrett
Halpert,
of blessed
memory.

Applly for Teen
Israel Leadership
Training Program

Applications are due Sept. 5 for
the Center for Israel Education’s
(CIS) next virtual Teen Israel
Leadership Institute (TILI), to
be held at noon on successive
Sundays, Sept. 19 and 26.
TILI’s interactive presentations
enhance 15-18-year-olds’ under-
standing of Israel, its complexity
and its role in Jewish identity.
TILI participants in-person and
online the past three years have
called the experience empower-
ing and said it provided confi-
dence in speaking about Israel.
CIE engages teens and adults
with Israel learning through
context and perspective. TILI
focuses on teen interaction and
engagement with the sources
of Israel’s rich, complex past to
deepen appreciation of Israel’s
role in shaping Jewish identity.
The program provides teens a
variety of tools to understand
contemporary events with
nuance and to share their knowl-
edge with their communities.
September’s teen institute is
for 10th-12th-graders. Teens
with any level of knowledge
about Israel are welcome, but
the most successful attendees
are willing to engage with their
peers and bring an open mind.
Participants who complete
the program receive a CIE
Teen Israel Leadership Institute
Certificate in Israel Education.
The usual $54 registration has
been waived, so participation is
free. Applications are accepted
on a rolling basis, and teens are
encouraged to apply as soon
as possible at centerforisraeled.
wufoo.com/forms/z17eul-
ny17aksgp.
For more information, visit
israeled.org/teens, or contact
CIE’s teen program manager,
Michele Freesman, at michele.
freesman@israeled.org.