Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation and Jack.org Announce the #BeKindBeThere Initiative

#BeKindBeThere Empowers Young People to Be Kind By Being There For Each Other During This Time

NEW YORK and TORONTO, May 14, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, which is committed to supporting the wellness of young people and working with them to create a kinder and braver world, and Jack.org, the only Canadian charity training and empowering young leaders to revolutionize mental health, announced they are partnering to launch the #BeKindBeThere initiative. #BeKindBeThere aims to reinforce the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge and confidence they need to recognize when someone is struggling, lean into tough conversations, and maintain their own mental health while showing they care.

The initiative, timed to Mental Health Awareness Month, directs people to Jack.org's Be There resource (BeThere.org), which was designed in consultation with mental health professionals and thousands of youth to help young people learn how to recognize when someone might be struggling with their mental health and learn the skills needed to safely support them. Whether people have five minutes or five hours, the initiative invites the public to visit BeThere.org to learn how to better support their communities as part of #BeKindBeThere.

"We are beyond excited to be collaborating with Born This Way Foundation, coming together at a time when young people across North America are experiencing a significant increase in their need for mental health support," said Jesse Hayman, Vice President, Jack.org. "So many of us know someone who may be struggling but we don't know how to help. It's our role to make sure young people have the resources they need to look out for themselves and the people around them. Jack.org created Be There to do just that,  provide young people the knowledge, skills, and confidence to step up and safely support one another. This partnership will bring significant awareness to an important resource and help increase our communities' ability to identify and support people who are struggling with their mental health."

Jack.org's research shows that 83% of young people say they've supported a friend struggling with their mental health yet only 39% of them felt they were prepared to offer the support that was needed. Comparably, research by Born This Way Foundation reinforces this need to prepare young people finding that 74% of young people in the U.S. indicated they are interested in resources to help them support their friend's mental health, yet approximately 1-in-3 young people say they lack reliable access to resources to support their mental wellness.

"Young people prioritize their mental health and understand that it takes a collective, ongoing effort to support their wellbeing," said Cynthia Germanotta, Co-Founder, and President of Born This Way Foundation. "It is our mission to connect young people with the resources they need to be there for each other and lead with compassion to support kinder communities and validate the emotions of young people everywhere. The #BeKindBeThere initiative is an invitation for everyone to learn how to better support each other and themselves."

Be There (BeThere.org) provides a guide to help equip the public on how to support people in their lives.  A variety of video tutorials, practical tips, Q + A's, and personal stories teach the 5 Golden Rules in a way that is relevant, engaging, and relatable to young people.

SOURCE Jack.org

MEDIA CONTACT: JoAnne Stayner, [email protected], 604.603.0657; Maya Bronstein, [email protected], 917.742.9565