Jacksonville’s Pace Center for Girls partnering with community to combat youth mental health crisis

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — September is Suicide Prevention Month and a local school for girls, with a focus on mental health is raising awareness.

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The Pace Center for Girls in Jacksonville is partnering with Vystar Credit Union, bringing more than 30 volunteers to combat the youth mental health crisis.

“Everything that we try to do is for the girls to be successful in whatever they want to be,” Anurag Sharma, a board member at Pace, said.

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This partnership aims to empower young girls and one way volunteers are giving back is helping the girls paint a mural just outside the center.

“I love the colors, you can express yourself, like blue for sad or purple for happy,” said Jay, a senior at the Pace Center for Girls in Jacksonville.

Volunteers also created vision boards for the girls’ futures, setting them on a path toward success and mental well-being.

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Tami Garrett the development director said at pace, the school aims to break down the barriers that prevent a girl from focusing academically.

“The program really is a year-round program to give the girls an opportunity to catch up academically but also to provide that social service aspect,” Tami said.

They provide resources like counseling and even physical items like hygiene products and school supplies.

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“We make sure that the girls have access to all the resources they need for human dignity and feeling seen heard, feeling safe,” Brielle McVay, a therapist at Pace, said.

For Tami, she aims to continue to bring in community members to help break the mental health stigma.

“Mental health is so important for people to know and to be aware of and that these girls and all youth need support,” Tami said.

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