Journey wrote a song about a small-town girl living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhere. A boy, born and raised in South Detroit, did the same thing. The song doesn’t say where the girl and boy end up, or if they find each other, but they both went “anywhere” to get away from where they had been.

Teller County has a number of resources for people who are struggling with a difficult journey. Teller County did a mental health mapping project in April of this year and found that the biggest challenges for people in our area are accessibility, availability, affordability and acceptability of services. The following organizations took part in the mapping project and would be the first place I’d look if mental health struggles became too difficult: Community Health Partnership, Teller County Public Health and Environment, UCHealth Pikes Peak Regional Hospital, Teller County Mental Health Alliance and the Board of Health.

This column always attempts to bring the perspective of nonprofits into consideration. A person fulfilling a nonprofits’ journey usually has to manage at least one scenario that makes them want to go to “anywhere.” This can happen when a person works hard on an event just to see it get canceled. This may seem trivial in the larger scheme of things but that canceled event may have been the only fundraising opportunity that organization had for the year. Nonprofits depend on fundraising to maintain stability. A canceled event is an emotionally draining experience and the person in charge of that activity can certainly use extra kindness.

The Mental Health Mapping Project identified earlier in this column has a goal to increase awareness of the resources that exist in our community. You may offer a service that would be helpful and if so, you are encouraged to reach out to Teller County Mental Health Alliance to share your services with them. You can view an online directory of services that are now available in our county at https://tcmha.org/resource-directory/

Please, don’t stop believing in your journey. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis: Call 844-493-8255 or Call or text 988 or Chat online at 988lifeline.org. Every day is a good day to help someone else. September is the month when people focus on suicide prevention but every day is a time to remember that people matter most. Every one of us is a valuable part of this community and deserves respect.

Imagine if we all just wanted the best for each other, and we came out in support of that mission. In the end, we’d all be happier and more successful. In honor of you, how can I help?

Gayle Gross works with nonprofits through SOAR’s Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. at Reserve Our Gallery in Woodland Park. 2023 brings back collaborative fundraising events for nonprofits in the area through coordination of community events with SOAR. Contact Gayle Gross at iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org to be part of a Teller Give Back column. You can also email or call 719-233-9902 to learn more Collaborative Fundraising Events.

Gayle Gross