David Lawrence Centers just hosted an event on the Naples Princess to raise awareness and money for mental health. “We’re in the worst mental health crisis our county has ever seen. A lot of people don’t realize that our county is the size of the state of Rhode Island, and 1 in 4 people are telling us that they suffer from some form of mental issue,” said Kimberly Dye, the vice president of advancement for David Lawrence Centers.Dye said that while we’re feeling the impact of a mental health crisis in Collier County, this is a nationwide problem. “One hundred and thirty-six people die by suicide every day in the United States — as many people on the Naples Princess today. Imagine if every single day this boat crashed and killed every person on it,” said Dye.It’s an issue that hits close to home for Dye.“In our community, where I have a 10-year-old daughter, the number two cause of death for a child her age is death by suicide, second to accidents and before cancer. My daughter has a better chance of dying by suicide than she does to cancer. And I’m a two-time cancer survivor,” said Dye.However, Dye said she’s inspired by how far we’ve come as a community.“What speaks to me is that people have really reduced the stigma of mental health. There was a time where folks didn’t want to talk about it,” said Dye.Whether it’s raising money or just talking about mental health, it all has an impact.“It doesn’t even matter necessarily, just the funds. But it’s about having people engage in that conversation and be advocates for mental health. Being able to really share those conversations then gets others to open up, which then further reduces that stigma. And that’s what it’s all about,” said Jack Hellmer, chair of the David Lawrence Center advocates.If you want to become an advocate, just reach out to DLC at 239-455-8500.”We’re always looking for new members. It’s completely free. We just want to build a community of people supportive around the topic of mental health,” said Hellmer.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.

NAPLES, Fla. —

David Lawrence Centers just hosted an event on the Naples Princess to raise awareness and money for mental health.

“We’re in the worst mental health crisis our county has ever seen. A lot of people don’t realize that our county is the size of the state of Rhode Island, and 1 in 4 people are telling us that they suffer from some form of mental issue,” said Kimberly Dye, the vice president of advancement for David Lawrence Centers.

Dye said that while we’re feeling the impact of a mental health crisis in Collier County, this is a nationwide problem.

“One hundred and thirty-six people die by suicide every day in the United States — as many people on the Naples Princess today. Imagine if every single day this boat crashed and killed every person on it,” said Dye.

It’s an issue that hits close to home for Dye.

“In our community, where I have a 10-year-old daughter, the number two cause of death for a child her age is death by suicide, second to accidents and before cancer. My daughter has a better chance of dying by suicide than she does to cancer. And I’m a two-time cancer survivor,” said Dye.

However, Dye said she’s inspired by how far we’ve come as a community.

“What speaks to me is that people have really reduced the stigma of mental health. There was a time where folks didn’t want to talk about it,” said Dye.

Whether it’s raising money or just talking about mental health, it all has an impact.

“It doesn’t even matter necessarily, just the funds. But it’s about having people engage in that conversation and be advocates for mental health. Being able to really share those conversations then gets others to open up, which then further reduces that stigma. And that’s what it’s all about,” said Jack Hellmer, chair of the David Lawrence Center advocates.

If you want to become an advocate, just reach out to DLC at 239-455-8500.

“We’re always looking for new members. It’s completely free. We just want to build a community of people supportive around the topic of mental health,” said Hellmer.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.