Crouch Foundation "The Reunion "
Donation protected
Crouch Foundation was started by the family and friends of Jacob Crouch following his death to suicide in 2005. At the time, there were very limited resources available to those grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide and the stigma associated with suicide meant that education on warning signs and intervention was also not very prevalent. The mission of the foundation was quickly realized and in 2006 Crouch Foundation began to work on spreading suicide awareness and prevention through education.
In the beginning, the foundation was run exclusively by family and friends of Jacob, many of which found solace in their prevention efforts and work at the foundation. They devoted the next five years of their lives to the foundation and passionately shared experiences and knowledge with students, teachers, community members and anyone willing to listen and learn.
The years 2010 and 2011 brought many changes for the foundation. For many of the founders, the healing originally offered by the foundation had taken them as far as it could and a step away from the demanding nature of suicide prevention was necessary for the healing process to continue. Others found growth in their personal lives, and while the foundation was still important to them, it could no longer be a priority.
The foundation has continued to work towards its mission with the help of individuals from the community. Our programs have thrived and expanded in the last three years, with over 5,000 individuals hearing our message of prevention and intervention in 2012 alone! However, in the last year, we have faced many hardships and even considered the possibility of closing our doors.
Our motivation to persist in our mission came from understanding that without our services, suicide prevention and education efforts in Acadiana would be almost nonexistent. Survivors of suicide would have one less place to go to cry, to be understood, to learn to grieve with their loss effectively and to connect with others who have shared experiences. Through personal experience, Jacob's family and friends recognized that this is a cause we simply cannot afford to lose.
As 2014 comes to an end, we find ourselves in a place of revival and, for the first time in several years, we are confident that this foundation will thrive in working towards our mission. Great things have been happening for the foundation including the creation of a new board of directors, with Michelle Crouch and Ramsey Leblanc returning to our board. We are thrilled to carry this momentum forward into 2015.
In the coming year, we plan to return to those aspects of the foundation that were successful in our early days, including Crouchstock. In anticipation of Crouchstock, board members Drew Landry and Ramsey Leblance have organized The Reunion: A Southwest Louisiana Music Showcase, which will be held on December 26, 2014 to reunite local artists and to reunite past Crouch Foundation supporters. This fundraising event will feature music by Rex Moroux, Corey Tucker Guidry, Drew Landry, T-Roy Richard, Mike Dean, Strawboss-The New Form, Matt Breaux and The People's Band of Brothers. Tickets to The Reunion can be purchased at http://thereunion.eventbee.com. To read more about The Reunion and the artists performing at this event, go to https://atmroadlog.wordpress.com/.
The Reunion will truly be a celebration of life, for those we lost and for those that we will continue to save. We hope to see everyone on December 26th. If you cannot attend the event, but would like to donate to Crouch Foundation, please do so here. Your donations are working towards making Acadiana a suicide-safer community. All donations are tax deductible. Please include contact information with your donation so we can send a donation acknowledgement letter with our tax identification number.
In the beginning, the foundation was run exclusively by family and friends of Jacob, many of which found solace in their prevention efforts and work at the foundation. They devoted the next five years of their lives to the foundation and passionately shared experiences and knowledge with students, teachers, community members and anyone willing to listen and learn.
The years 2010 and 2011 brought many changes for the foundation. For many of the founders, the healing originally offered by the foundation had taken them as far as it could and a step away from the demanding nature of suicide prevention was necessary for the healing process to continue. Others found growth in their personal lives, and while the foundation was still important to them, it could no longer be a priority.
The foundation has continued to work towards its mission with the help of individuals from the community. Our programs have thrived and expanded in the last three years, with over 5,000 individuals hearing our message of prevention and intervention in 2012 alone! However, in the last year, we have faced many hardships and even considered the possibility of closing our doors.
Our motivation to persist in our mission came from understanding that without our services, suicide prevention and education efforts in Acadiana would be almost nonexistent. Survivors of suicide would have one less place to go to cry, to be understood, to learn to grieve with their loss effectively and to connect with others who have shared experiences. Through personal experience, Jacob's family and friends recognized that this is a cause we simply cannot afford to lose.
As 2014 comes to an end, we find ourselves in a place of revival and, for the first time in several years, we are confident that this foundation will thrive in working towards our mission. Great things have been happening for the foundation including the creation of a new board of directors, with Michelle Crouch and Ramsey Leblanc returning to our board. We are thrilled to carry this momentum forward into 2015.
In the coming year, we plan to return to those aspects of the foundation that were successful in our early days, including Crouchstock. In anticipation of Crouchstock, board members Drew Landry and Ramsey Leblance have organized The Reunion: A Southwest Louisiana Music Showcase, which will be held on December 26, 2014 to reunite local artists and to reunite past Crouch Foundation supporters. This fundraising event will feature music by Rex Moroux, Corey Tucker Guidry, Drew Landry, T-Roy Richard, Mike Dean, Strawboss-The New Form, Matt Breaux and The People's Band of Brothers. Tickets to The Reunion can be purchased at http://thereunion.eventbee.com. To read more about The Reunion and the artists performing at this event, go to https://atmroadlog.wordpress.com/.
The Reunion will truly be a celebration of life, for those we lost and for those that we will continue to save. We hope to see everyone on December 26th. If you cannot attend the event, but would like to donate to Crouch Foundation, please do so here. Your donations are working towards making Acadiana a suicide-safer community. All donations are tax deductible. Please include contact information with your donation so we can send a donation acknowledgement letter with our tax identification number.
Organizer
Lori Guidry Bienvenu
Organizer
Madisonville, LA
