The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation Welcomes New Program Coordinator

Please Welcome The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation’s New Bilingual Program Coordinator, David Umanzor!

David is excited to have this opportunity to serve Fort Worth by further establishing and maintaining our HOPE Squad program in Fort Worth schools. This program is extremely important because suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among children ages 10 to 17. We also know that 7 out of 10 children will tell a friend before they take their life, but very few friends will tell an adult.

HOPE Squad is especially vital now that the pandemic has ravaged our nation’s mental health. Not only have mental health conditions grown across the board especially among children ages 5 to17, but the CDC reports that mental health conditions have disproportionally affected African American and Latino communities. These communities make up approximately 52.75% of Fort Worth’s population.

A generous grant by The Morris Foundation has allowed for this new staff position. It will allow us to help expand HOPE Squad across the Fort Worth school district. Because David is Hispanic and bilingual, The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation will be able to fill the mental health gaps in the Hispanic community.