Showing our support for young people with action

We are mourning the tragic killings of Black people from the last several weeks—including David McAtee, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, and Ahmaud Arbery. These acts of anti-Blackness, systemic racism, and police brutality—on top of all the others that came before them—are taking an unimaginable toll on Black people, including Peer Health Exchange high school and college students nationwide.

⁠Witnessing police brutality, and experiencing other forms of white supremacy, takes a serious toll on the mental and overall health of folx of color and specifically on Black folx. We join Black and Brown young people calling for an end to police and state-sponsored violence.

Most importantly to our mission, we commit to showing up for young people by delivering virtual content now, supporting our partners in community, and directly supporting our volunteers as young folx themselves.

The strongest path toward health equity is action. Here are three ways to join us:

Contribute directly to Peer Health Exchange’s fund for Black college student volunteers to support their wellbeing, rest, and healing as they navigate a national crisis of anti-Black violence. This includes dollars for facilitated meditation and bodywork workshops, food for nourishment, safe rides, PPE, and connection to counseling.
Support our partners in community with your time and dollars as they work at the front lines of trauma and healing (see list below).
Share this list of resources with any young person you know who needs support.

Every dollar you give will be matched one-to-one, up to $15,000, through a generous donation to this cause.

We are doubling down in our commitment to our equity strategy. In showing up for Black staff, we will make space for grief, healing, community, and redistribution of work as needed in ways that they identify are helpful. We support time off and rest for our Black colleagues, with no questions asked. Last, we will continue to create spaces for non-Black folx to strive to be anti-racist and include our Board members in that work.

As two white people in leadership roles at Peer Health Exchange we have a lot of work to do now and always. We will focus our outrage and sadness to show up for folx of color, and Black communities specifically.

Please join us in doing that work—starting with giving your time and your dollars.

Louise Langheier, CEO and Marty Schneider, National Board Chair

National:

Bay Area:

NYC:

Boston:

Chicago:

Los Angeles:

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Showing our support for young people with action

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PHE and the America Forward Coalition