T

wo University of Michigan 
students from Alpha Epsilon 
Pi found a creative way to raise 
funds and awareness for mental health 
challenges on campus. By selling 
customized hats, the pair raised nearly 
$1,000 for Friendship Circle’s UMatter.
“Your story isn’t over,” states the 
front of the cap. On the side, it reads 
“National Suicide Awareness Month” 
with a hotline number. For someone 
struggling with thoughts of suicide, this 
powerful statement could be 
the sign they need to seek 
help.
Jared Brecher and Jonah 
Stone launched the initiative 
out of their fraternity and 
sold the hats around the 

University of Michigan campus over the 
past year. Through partnerships with 
AEPi chapters at neighboring schools 
like Michigan State, the hats reached a 

wide audience. 
“It was a hard year, and everyone 
was in a weird headspace because of 
the pandemic,” Stone said. “Whether 
you related to it or not, it was an issue 
everyone could support.”
The Michigan AEPi duo talked 
extensively about which cause would be 
best to support. They agreed on suicide 
awareness. 
According to the National Institutes 
of Health, 1 in 5 American adults live 
with mental illness as of 2019. Suicide 
took 47,500 American lives in 2019 and 
was the second leading cause of death 
for people ages 10 to 34 according to 
the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention. 
“Suicide is something that has 
impacted more of us than I would’ve 
thought,” Brecher said. “We felt it was 
our job to help.” 
Brecher said he was surprised and 
excited to find out so many people 
connected with the hats and their 
message. 
“The sororities were also extremely 
supportive, and about half our sales 
came from them,” said Brecher. “We 
never knew what impact there would be 
until we looked down one day and saw 
that we raised over $1,000.” 

LINK TO UMATTER
Stone’s passion for mental health causes 
began in high school when he got 
involved with UMatter, a Friendship 
Circle initiative powered by the Andrew 
Kukes Foundation for Social Anxiety, 
that enables high schoolers to help 
their peers overcome stigmas and other 
obstacles related to mental health.
“I saw that UMatter was 
a group that was actually 
making a difference,” Stone 
said. “It ignited a passion 
in me that kids my age 
were having that important 
conversation.”
While in the program, 
Stone took on the role 
of major events coordinator for 
UMatter’s One Thing I Wish You Knew. 
The annual event amplifies voices in 
the community and how their attempts 
to overcome challenges have often felt 
isolating and alienating.
“Hearing the speakers telling their 

Sparking the 
Conversation

Jared 
Brecher 

24 | SEPTEMBER 16 • 2021 

OUR COMMUNITY

Two Michigan AEPi fraternity members spark 
conversation with hats for suicide awareness.

BRIAN GOLDSMITH SPECIAL TO THE JN

Brecher and Stone’s hat 
for suicide awareness 
reads in white letters 
“Your story isn’t over” 
on the black baseball 
cap’s front logo. 

Jared Brecher and Jonah Stone

Jonah 
Stone

