On October 7, 2023, SASF hosted the showing of the award-winning film “Stories of Hope,” produced by ZCARES. Suicide Prevention Awareness Reflection Knowledge (SPARK) began in 2019 and host events each year and provides mentoring and training to teens.
The film, about four inspiring young adults, traces their struggles with mental health. While each story is unique, they all share a common power: talking about their struggles puts them on the path to hope and recovery.
The event was well attended by students and family members from the Sacramento and Elk Grove Unified School Districts. The audience provided very positive feedback about the film and actively participated in the post-discussions to share their thoughts, struggles, and questions related to mental health. The post-film discussion was highly impactful and significantly contributed to destigmatizing the negative perception of mental health. These discussions were led by Steve Nimmo, founder of ZCARES, Dr. Rona Hu, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University, Ally Cooper and Caty Hung, both with ZCares, Margaret Ching with ZCares and SPARK, and Riley Domine, a senior at West Campus and member of SPARK.
SASF is continuously seeking ways to help our community support teen mental health and resilience. Let's all take the first step by initiating conversations about mental health issues.