People don't get help because of the cost. So we raise money.
Fifteen students across Houston high schools run fundraisers and awareness weeks, and the money goes toward counseling people can actually afford.
Fifteen students. Seven planned events. One $50,000 goal.
Our fall plan for Houston.
Houston chapter
Student-led fundraising for mental health access.
Our mission
Money should not decide who gets help.
Our organization is committed to creating change through the provision of financial resources aimed at addressing barriers that affect mental health. We work to fill the significant gap between people who require assistance and professional help by providing affordable counseling programs, educational materials, and preventive measures.
Through our grassroots fundraising and collaboration within communities, we strive to make sure that financial problems are not a barrier to emotional well-being. Together, we will create a stronger community where mental health services are considered a right of all individuals.
MindfulMission HTX is the Houston high school chapter of The Mental Health Society.
Why we chose to do this
All fifteen of us started MindfulMission HTX together. Each of us came with our own reason, but we all saw the same problem. Friends our age struggle in silence, and the cost of professional help keeps too many Houston students from getting support. We chose to raise money together because none of us wanted to just stand there and watch.
The entire MindfulMission HTX team started this together.
Why we started
Being students is the whole point. We sit in the same classrooms and hear the same things adults do not hear, so when we plan a bake sale or an awareness week we already know who it has to reach. We are not therapists and we never pretend to be. We raise money, we hand out real phone numbers, and we point people toward help that is qualified.
The numbers we work against
These are the studies our generation keeps turning up in. Each one says who ran it.
84%
Most of us already called it a crisis. of Gen Zers say mental health is a crisis in the United States.
Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, Generation Z and Mental Health
61%
Anxiety is the diagnosis most of us have heard. of Gen Z reported a medical anxiety diagnosis, around 42% depression.
Source: Gen Z mental health surveys
60%
The news cycle is part of why we are worn out. of young people worldwide said constant world news leaves them overwhelmed.
Source: UNICEF, global survey of young people
OUR TEAM
Students from grades 9 through 12, working across Houston schools to plan every fundraiser, partnership, and event.
Kylan He
Co-President & Founder
Sofia Edery
Vice President
Alexander Ramirez
Co-President & Co-Founder
Lane McAnelly
Senior Manager
Brian Ngo
Treasurer
THE CREW
Houston, Texas
Philip Bakht
Director of Outreach & Communications
Victoria Breu
Event Organizer
Peyton Hoover
Lead Marketer
Bianca Strohl
Event Organizer
Elliot Strubblefield
Member
Alex Teshoian
Member
Hunter Lewis
Member
Omar Morsi
Outreach & Connections
Mason Lopez
Member
Kylan Spiegal
Member
Our plan from the car wash to the Gala
Our next event is September 26. After that, we plan to hold one event every two weeks through December 19. Locations will be announced once they are confirmed.
Car wash
Next eventSep 26
Our next event. We are starting with buckets, hoses, and a hand-painted sign.
Houston
Lunch bake sales
Oct 10
We plan to sell during lunch and keep 988 resource cards beside the table.
Houston schools
Awareness week
Oct 24
Our plan is to use hallway posters, morning announcements, and student-run tables.
Houston schools
Restaurant night
Nov 7
We plan to partner with a local restaurant and bring our schools together for one night.
Houston
Middle school visits
Nov 21
We plan to talk with seventh and eighth graders about what high school actually feels like.
Houston middle schools
Silent auction
Dec 5
We plan to collect items from Houston businesses and families for bidding.
Houston
Mental Grand Gala
Dec 19
Our planned finale brings the fundraising together with dinner and the silent auction.
Houston
We hand out real numbers
Every table has cards printed with 988 on them. We are students, not counselors, so we point at people who are.
We only run it in our own schools
Four Houston campuses, our own hallways. We already know which lunch period actually gets read.
We show where the money went
Our event records are ours and we will show them to anyone who asks, including at the Gala.
This school year
$0
The amount we are raising by the night of the Mental Grand Gala.
$0 raised so far toward $50,000. Source: our own event records, available on request.