Wondering what is happening with Our City Cares? The bottom line is the need and scope of the campaigns have outgrown our founders. To keep up with the need it is time that we set up an e-commerce site that streamlines our campaign making them efficient and able to expand impact into more areas. the Nationwide 988 crisis number helps this dream become a reality.

The streamlined process would look something like this the interns at local universities will continue to work with us to identify local business and corporate sponsors that can help fund the campaigns in any given city. City officials are notified and the fundraising process is completed. The budget is set and each participating school district is granted an allotment and guided through the process of purchasing their campaign materials through the commerce site. Local sponsor's logos can still be added to the signs and banners. Once delivered local youth groups, schools and volunteers act as the Hope Ambassadors overseeing and personalizing the campaigns to their schools and areas.

The story of Our City Cares began because a whole community united. Our lives were forever changed when we received the news that our son, Jon, had died by suicide. He was embarking on a new adventure headed off to a university across the country when he lost perspective and ended his life. Shocked by this, we searched for answers and found that there was much to learn about suicide. In the following year, our community experienced several suicides. Witnessing the shock and devastation of our community, and because of our own experience, we were gripped with a question, “What can we do?”

In asking that question, the idea was sparked to spread hope in simple ways. Out of this came three Community Initiatives to spread hope and care through simple Signs of Hope, community care cards, and community walks. It has always been a community united. This was just the beginning of the Our City Cares movement. August 31, is the anniversary of our loss, and every year since in September/ National Suicide Prevention Month, we commemorate the loss and hopefully prevent others from making this tragic mistake.

Our City Cares movement continues because others continue to pick up the mantle and carry it forward. This year we are joined by University of Washington Intern Anthony Delaplaine, Clark County Fire District 3, WHY Racing, and North West Personal Training to bring this year's Campaign Let's Build Each Other Up.

Most effective non-profits outgrow their founders and this is where we find OCC. As we look to the future we know others will join the movement. For seven years OCC has been putting up Signs of Hope around the schools, city parks, and city streets in Clark County. This year the Signs of Hope campaign was run by our WSU intern Anthony Delaplaine and features Signs of Hope 2.0 which was primarily a social media campaign supporting and encouraging our Hope Ambassadors in the schools.

Thank you in advance because we know however big or small our campaign will be, It will take a City That Cares to change this cultural epidemic.

Sincerely, Joe and Sheryl Stephens

Founders of Our City Cares

#SignsofHope #OurCityCares #LetsBuildEachOtherUp

Let's Build Each Other Up

By Our City Cares

Let's Build Each Other Up

2023-24 Signs Of Hope Campaign