What started out as a thought is becoming a reality.
“I just think that there’s a need to do something. What that something is I may not have all the answers right now, but my goal is to find them,” Kyle Downing said.
Downing is a firefighter in Eleva.
He wanted to spread awareness of and prevent suicide among those who protect and serve. “I kind of had an idea of talking with my mom and branching off hope 4 you and creating something to focus more on our first responders,” Downing said.
Deb Helgeson started the non-profit Hope 4 U, a non-profit aimed at suicide prevention, awareness, and intervention.
With the help and inspiration of Helgeson, Downing’s mom, Hope 4 Heroes was created.
“Hope for Heroes is to help our heroes, which include our law enforcement, our veterans, our dispatchers, our EMS team, and our police officers,” Helgeson said. “We want them to know that they are not alone.”