Arlington Public News invited Tim and Kellie Guerriero into the studio to talk about their foundation, The Makayla Fund. After losing their fifteen-year-old daughter Makayla to suicide in 2012, the Guerrieros established the fund with two main goals in mind: to increase suicide awareness and to provide scholarships to high school athletes.
To increase suicide awareness, The Makayla Fund works with Screening for Mental Health to provide Signs of Suicide (SOS) training in middle and high schools. This training includes a screening process to assess students for signs of depression and creates an open forum with students about mental health.
The fund also sponsors scholarships for high school athletes, recognizing that participation in team sports can help build self-esteem in young adults. Scholarships are available to anyone who needs help paying for sports, and can include tuition as well as additional fees or equipment.
Kellie, who grew up in Arlington and graduated from Arlington High School, invites Arlington residents and other members of the local community to apply for scholarships through the Makayla Fund, and to turn to its website for resources for suicide prevention and awareness.
For more information, visit www.themakaylafund.org.
