The first Texas-based Light the Trail bike ride — a 20- or 40-mile ride along the scenic boundaries of Benbrook Lake, through back country roads and back to the lake — is April 11, 2026, starting at 8am. The ride supports The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation. The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation’s mission is to prevent suicide, eliminate stigma, and provide hope to people struggling with depression. Jordan, the oldest of three children, took her life March 27, 2012. The foundation offers programs to workplaces, schools, and communities of faith to prevent suicide. Her parents, Tom and Ellen, are co-Chairs of The JEHF.

“Your commitment to ride with us will support those individuals and families that wrestle with mental health challenges every day,” said Andy Deufel, chairman of the race committee. “We ‘Light the Trail’ to help bring people out of the darkness of depression and into the light of hope.”

The ride is open to race enthusiasts, leisure riders, and those interested in supporting the foundation. Whether you’re in for a steady cruise or a longer challenge, every mile you ride helps make a meaningful impact. To register, visit www.Lightthetrailride.org. Registration is $250 per person. Enter promo code MOMSRIDE2026 for 50% off registration. The ride includes well-stocked rest stops along the way and a post-ride lunch at the finish line.

We encourage riders to register as a fundraiser and accept pledges or donations. Once you have surpassed $250, your registration fee is covered. FMI or to register, visit www.LighttheTrailRide.org.

The post Light the Trail to End Depression and Suicide first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

In a study done by Dr. Julie Cerel of the University of Kentucky for the Military Suicide Research Consortium, it was found that one death by suicide affects 135 people.

In Tarrant County, we lose around 300 people to suicide annually, which means that about 40,500 people are impacted by this tragic loss.

I recently sat down with Brad Nowlin, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with Fort Worth Counseling who is on the Board of Directors of the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation (JEHF).

The JEHF is dedicated to preventing suicide, eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide, and providing hope to people struggling with depression. It was founded in 2014 by Tom and Ellen Harris to honor the memory of their daughter Jordan, who died by suicide on March 27, 2012.

Over Dutch Babies and coffee at Ol’ South Pancake House, Nowlin and I discussed what people like you and I can do to change the narrative surrounding mental health and suicide.

First and most importantly, if you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Hotline) or text HELLO to 741741 (the Crisis Text Line).

Nowlin said that according to the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS; Joiner 2005), there are three things that can contribute to a person attempting suicide. “The first is ‘thwarted belonging.’ Loss of a job, a divorce or breakup… when someone is kicked out of their community, they are vulnerable. Then there is ‘perceived burdensomeness.’ A person who is contemplating suicide often mistakenly feels that their loved ones will be better off without them. And finally, there is the capacity to act. If a person has access to a means of suicide [guns, pills, etc.], they are more likely to make that attempt.”

However, there is evidence that most people who are prevented from completing suicide never attempt again, i.e. they are single attempters.

Jordan Elizabeth Harris
Photo courtesy of the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation

Education is key to prevention. And that means educating us: the loved ones, the friends and family. A person who is contemplating suicide is not thinking rationally. Depression is a liar – it tells people that they are unloved and unlovable. That they are no good. Worthless. Less than. It steals a person’s self-worth.

By educating ourselves on the signs of suicidal behavior, we can hopefully help prevent the loss of our loved ones. We can reduce access to the means of suicide. We can enlist the help of community and mental health professionals.

By educating ourselves on mental illnesses, we can remove the stigma and the resulting shame surrounding a diagnosis of a mental illness. We no longer whisper that someone has “the Big C.” Why should we treat mental illnesses any differently than cancer or arthritis or heart disease?

The JEHF works hard in our community to educate people. The Foundation provides QPR training (Question, Persuade, Refer) for individuals and organizations. They were essential in bringing Hope Squad, a school-based peer support program that empowers students to take action to prevent suicide, to schools across North Texas.

Nowlin wants to spread the word about the JEHF and their work in North Texas because he has been directly affected, both personally and his professionally, by suicide. He has vowed to keep talking to reduce the stigma, thereby making it so those 135 people will not know the pain of losing someone to suicide.

If you want to learn more about the JEHF and its lifesaving work, make plans to attend the 9^th Annual Bring the Conversation the Light Luncheon, either in person or virtually.

Bring the Conversation to Light Luncheon
Thursday, November 10, 2022 (Brad Nowlin’s birthday!)
Noon to 1 pm
Will Rogers Round Up Inn
3401 W Lancaster Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76107

To register, please click here.

Lee Virden Geurkink (seen here with her sister, Rachel, who died by suicide in 2009) wants to change the narrative surrounding suicide and mental health by erasing the stigma attached to them. She misses her sister every day.

The post Changing the Narrative by Bringing the Conversation to Light first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Roxo has had a successful year. Members grew in their professional skills. Entering into the communication industry, we had first-hand practice in crisis communication and assisting our clients during the early stages of the pandemic.

The agency learned how to use Slack, a business communication platform, to maintain consistent and clear communication while members were scattered throughout the nation. Following an intensive application, Roxo was selected to be nationally affiliated with the Public Relations Student Society of America. The agency earned three ADDY awards from the Fort Worth Chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Roxo had more students than ever apply to the agency and was able to take on another 11 clients this year.

But more importantly, members grew in their human skills.

The agency’s advisor, Sarah Angle, emphasizes the importance of empathy in public relations and advertising during the first class of every semester. This year, members especially put empathy into practice when working with each other and with clients. It is easy to acknowledge that someone is facing a difficult time, but it is something special when people take the time to sit in the fear and uncertainty with you.

photo credit: Annin Decker

At the beginning of the shut-down, no one knew when it would get better, but Roxo members knew they could simply be present for each other. Team leads and the executive team took intentional action both last semester and this semester to make sure members were continuously checked-in on and provided with mental health resources.

“Last semester before each agency-wide meeting, our executive board would do a quick mental check where we would anonymously rate how we were feeling on a scale from 1-10, and then we would see where the majority of everyone was,” shared student agency member, Ashley German. “It was really comforting because it reminded me that even on my worst weeks, I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. It made me feel less alone. Our executive team continuously made sure it was clear we could reach out to them for help.”

Roxo celebrates the successes but also experienced first-hand that growth doesn’t come without struggle. This year was hard for the agency in the transition to being virtually run. In an industry built on relationship building and storytelling, it was intimidating to adapt to a new way of conducting business that would still produce the high quality of work that Roxo delivers.

Along with figuring out how Roxo would run, many students in the agency, and all over the nation, struggled with feelings of isolation, self-doubt, fear, lack of motivation, and increased anxiety during the pandemic.

“I have definitely noticed my anxiety has worsened since the onset of COVID-19. I finally got diagnosed this past January, which has helped me identify and name the emotions that I have been feeling,” shared Preston Harless, TCU student and member of Roxo. “I get so consumed with the idea of feeling busy that it inhibits me from actually being productive. I can’t get out of my head. My boyfriend has been great about reminding me that I’ll always get it done, which helps me recenter myself.”

Harless isn’t alone. In a 2020 study, it was found that out of the 195 college participants, 71 percent indicated that their stress and anxiety have increased due to COVID-19. 44 percent reported experiencing an increased level of depressive thoughts. Multiple stressors for students surrounding the pandemic were identified, including worries about their own health and the health of their loved ones, concerns about academic performance, difficulty concentrating, and decreased social interactions due to distancing. Motivation, concentration, and social interaction are all crucial factors for students to succeed in the higher education environment and mental illness can greatly impact these factors.

Everyone wants to be strong, but Roxo learned from this pandemic that strength doesn’t mean trying to do everything on your own.

“Even though we have been a team for only a month and a half, I appreciate how intentional my account executive is with checking in on our team at the start and end of our meetings,” shared

Harless. “I am not good at asking for help, so the fact that she emphasizes that reaching out is actually a sign of strength — not weakness — makes such a difference for me.”

It is easy for students to feel like COVID unfairly snatched too much of their livelihoods, but Roxo clings to the hope that creativity is not taken away in times of hardship.

Creativity aids in resilience. It helps people tell a story in a new way and shows shared human experiences and feelings. According to an article in Medical News Today, “Writing allows people to take negative situations that cannot be changed and integrate them into their life’s story, creating meaning for events that left indelible marks.”

Photo courtesy of ROXO

Each semester, Roxo agency members set their vision on the agency’s tagline — “creativity for good.” As an agency that prides itself on providing creative designs, solutions, and overall work, Roxo learned that creativity also has the power to heal. Using creative outlets, like journaling, yoga, drawing, and photography members found healthy ways to cope with anxiety.

“I did projects not only for school but also for myself, to help make sense of all the changes that happened when COVID first started. Photography has always been my main outlet for my creativity; it is almost cathartic in a sense,” said Matthew Suminther, Roxo’s agency photographer. “So, for me, taking pictures, editing them, and then releasing them publicly on my Instagram and seeing the feedback from my followers helped and motivated me to produce content amidst the struggles stemming from the pandemic.”

Over the year, the agency has had high, lows, hardships, and growth. As a sense of normalcy starts to emerge, the agency is on a mission to use the healing nature of creativity to positively contribute to the Fort Worth community and emphasize the value that needs to be placed on mental health.

To take action, Roxo is fundraising for The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, a local non-profit focused on mental health, providing hope to those who are struggling in silence, and fulfilling its vision of a world where suicide is never the choice.

“As an agency comprised of students, we have struggled and we have seen our peers struggle,” shared German. “We are committed to taking steps, starting with fundraising for The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, and be a positive force and ally for the mental health of our peers in the higher education system.”

The post Getting Support Helps Student Agency Thrive first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Photo courtesy of the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation

The JEHF’s programming reaches thousands of people. There are Hope Squads, a peer support program that empowers students to take action to prevent suicide, in 88 schools across North Texas. Almost 200 QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention trainings were held in 2019. And the JEHF provides funding for depression research so that no one will know the pain of losing a loved one to suicide.

To fund these programs and research, the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation has hosted the Bring the Conversation to Light event every year since 2013. This year’s event, which takes place on Wednesday, November 18, is a little different. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s event will be held virtually, but as in years past, it will feature dynamic speakers with impactful stories. This year’s emcee is Carlos Capua, and the keynote speaker is Terry Bentley Hill.

2020 has hit many people hard. The global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social unrest have combined to create stressors that we haven’t experienced before. The work of the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation is more important than ever. To register for the 7^th Annual Bring the Conversation to Light virtual event, click here. A world without suicide is possible.

The post Lighting the Way first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.