Tangible Mental Health Resources for Youth

Mental health

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Nationally, suicide is a serious issue. In 2022, nearly 46,000 people died by suicide, and there were over 1.2 million attempts. The U.S. Surgeon General even declared loneliness and isolation an "epidemic."
California faces a particular challenge, where suicide rates have risen faster than in most other states. L.A. is especially concerning, where a shortage of pediatric psychiatrists means many young people in need can't get the help they deserve.
The situation is even more critical for Hispanic youth. The median age of suicide for teens in L.A. County has hit a record low of 16, and 74% of L.A. public school students are Hispanic - a group with the highest uninsured rate in the country. These statistics highlight the urgent need for more resources. We need to invest in upstream mental health initiatives – programs that prevent problems before they start, and they should be available in both English and Spanish to ensure the greatest positive impact in the L.A. community.

Find Your Anchor (FYA) combats the youth mental health crisis by providing tangible resources directly to youth. We deliver Find Your Anchor boxes to marginalized and at-risk teens, in both English and Spanish. Unlike impersonal online resources, these boxes are lifelines filled with conversation starters, anchors, and activities that encourage self-reflection and connection with others.
Our boxes are not just care packages. Often called a “mental health first aid kit,” our blue boxes are packed with carefully curated resources designed to inspire, uplift, and empower recipients. Items include a 52+ Reasons to Live deck of cards, an infographic on depression, list of resources, a letter from a stranger who cares, posters, a bracelet, a mixtape, stickers, some other sweet nothings, and a whole lot of good vibes.
Each box is designed to help young people discover their own unique anchors – those small sources of joy and strength that see them through tough times. We understand there's no one-size-fits-all solution to mental health, so the FYA box serves as a launchpad for personalized self-discovery.
Through this project, we aim to provide 4,500 FYA boxes directly to teens in underserved communities within Los Angeles County. By infusing the public school system with more upstream mental health resources, we can help ease the burden on the overworked mental health system, while also providing resources directly to those in need - no insurance or referral needed.

The immediate effect of this successful program is 4,500 L.A. students receiving mental health resources - tangible tools for navigating their mental health. These are resources they can carry in their backpacks, leave in their lockers, or give to a friend. In total, these boxes will flood the L.A. community with 234,000 reasons to live. However, the ripple effects of this program are even greater. We also encourage individuals to add their own inspiration and anchors to their box before passing it along to someone new as a way to organically grow the community. Since these boxes are designed to be passed along, the reach of these boxes is exponentially greater than the number of people who will initially receive them.
We estimate that in addition to the 4,500 students directly affected by the boxes, an additional 22,500 will be indirectly served. These individuals are parents, friends, and strangers - each one reaping the benefits of a singular box.

Find Your Anchor measures its impact in a number of ways. These include: 1. Quantitative Feedback
Life-Saving Potential: 97% of surveyed box recipients strongly believe the boxes could help save lives. Unanimous Recommendation: Nearly all recipients (98%) would recommend FYA to others struggling - demonstrating a strong sense of trust.
Overwhelming Positive Impact: 98% of recipients reported a positive impact on their lives.
A Game-Changer for Mental Health: 92% of recipients believe FYA is a game-changer for mental health. 2. Qualitative Feedback
We actively collect testimonials from recipients. Some of our favorites from students:
“This box saves lives.”
“I just wanted to let you know that you saved a life today.”
“I asked my friend for a good grounding object and they said that the Find Your Anchor box helped them quit self-harming.”
“I can’t even tell you how much this has helped. Deep inside me I know that the messages you sent in the box are true. It’s helping me to stay alive.”