ZEELAND,
Mich. (
WOOD) – Our first Connecting with
Community Awards finalist is unique partnership between a local business man, an area foundation, and some first time filmmakers.
Brothers Jeff Elhart and
Wayne Elhart were owners together of Elhart
Automotive Campus in
Holland. Wayne had been struggling with depression for years when last March he died by suicide.
"[He was] always a happy person, very positive in nature, but you just don’t know what happens to one’s mind when you’re dealing with this illness of depression, this internal illness.” says Jeff.
The Elhart family was devastated having known about his struggles with depression but they didn’t have all the tools to help.
On a family vacation to
Florida to try to recover and cope with the tragedy, the Elhart family met another family going through the same struggle.
Husband and wife David and Christi
Eaton experienced two separate incidents of death by depression and suicide. Feeling overwhelmed with feelings, they didn’t know exactly what to do next.
It’s easy now to talk about addiction, but currently it’s not as easy to talk about mental health,” says David.
In efforts to start the conversation about mental health, depression and suicide, the Eaton’s decided to dive into filmmaking.
Working as first time filmmakers, David and Christi surrounded themselves with experienced crews and producers to help craft the project to be a tool to start discussions around mental health.
The finished film called “
Hope Bridge” stars “
Twilight” actor
BooBoo Stewart as
Jackson, who is coping
with a loss in his family and talks through his struggles with actor
Kevin Sorbo, of “
Hercules.”
Jeff Elhart connected with the Eaton’s at a local screening and discussion of “Hope Bridge” and decided to bring the film to
West Michigan.
At his first screening of the film in
Zeeland, Jeff met another West Michigan mental health advocate in
Christy Buck, the
Executive Director of the
Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan. After learning about “Be
Nice.” and the simple tools it can provide, he became inspired to help spread the word even further.
The “Be Nice.” model is a tool for students and adults to become first responders to mental health struggles and illness. The
N.I.C.E. stands for:
N –
Notice: notice what is different
I –
Invite: invite yourself to step in a be involved
C –
Challenge: challenge the stigmas we have
E – Empower: empower others and yourself
"It’s really up to the loved ones, family members the people who are closest to them to see those signs of depression,” says Jeff Elhart. “We need to take this awareness initiative of depression and not sweep it under the rug anymore.”
"That’s why the partnership between Elhart Automotive, the producers of “Hope Bridge” and the Mental Health Foundation is such a good team. They all want to build awareness and get people talking about the issue we don’t usually discuss, our own mental health."
Since this partnership has started around West Michigan there has been 25 showings and discussions of the “Hope Bridge” film. It is nearing 10,
000 people who have been in attendance.
Bri Mulder attended one the showings of the movie at her school. She has had her own struggle with depression and in the past has had thoughts of suicide.
The film really spoke to a lot of us at our school,” she says. “It hit home since our school has seen teens die by suicide”
Over 26,000 students are now enrolled in “Be Nice.” educational campaign. In an effort to expand its campaign in West Michigan, The Wayne Elhart Be
Nice Memorial Fund offered a match in funding to bring the Be Nice. program to the students of
Ottawa County.
“Be Nice.” and mental health is not just in the schools, now over 7,000 employees at area businesses are also enrolled in the program. Jeff has even higher hopes for this partnership. He hopes that within a year this program can receive national recognition.
- published: 21 Mar 2016
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