As it grieves the loss of seven young lives, Downingtown is now grappling with how to show teens who are struggling that suicide is preventable, writes Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Parents and students are putting pressure on Downingtown Area School District through petitions and social media posts to improve its mental health education and resources.
Residents are putting signs declaring “You Are Enough” in their yards. They seek more open conversations on the subject that many believe is stigmatized.
“People are very distraught,” said Josh Maxwell, a Chester County commissioner and former Downingtown mayor. “A lot of folks have been praying and crying about families and kids they may have never met. It certainly has the entire community really focused on this.”
Meanwhile, DASD spokesperson Jennifer Shealy said the suicides that happened this year were “absolutely devastating.”
“It is going to take the support of our entire community to wrap our collective arms around our children, and we are grateful to see how the entire DASD community and local Chester County districts have banded together in support of our students,” she said.
Read more about the support of the community and suicide prevention in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
