JEEPERS PREVENTING SUICIDE INC
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

Jeepers Preventing Suicide A little bit about your President and Founder of Jeepers Preventing Suicide, Brad Boyer. In September of 2014 a friend of Brad's, Jon O'Brien died by suicide after his battle with Depression and ADHD. In October of the same year, another friend and neighbor of Brad's, Ed Smith (Big Ed) died by suicide. Following these tragedies, in March of 2016, Brad's step dad and former member of our military (Army), Bob Lawson also lost his battle. At that point, Brad knew that he had to do something to prevent this from happening again. Brad is someone who suffers from Depression and has been diagnosed as Bipolar. Brad says "I totally understood what my friends and family had gone through". The more he shared his story, the more he realized that everyone knows someone that has been effected by suicide, whether it was a brother, friend, aunt, co-worker or neighbor. Brad believes we can help prevent and reduce suicide by breaking the stigma and openly talking about suicide and talking about our emotions. Brad added, "I choose the Jeep community as it is such a fabulous group of people that I have started calling my family." He hopes to meet as many of you as possible along this journey. He wants you to know, that you can help us end not being able to talk about suicide or suicidal thoughts. Together we can break the stigma of being silent about suicide. I am currently serving as Treasurer on Jeepers Preventing Suicide Board of Directors along with my husband, Brin Kelly, Vice President. On October 14, 2014, my brother Edward Smith died by suicide. He and I were very close siblings and Ed was Brin’s best friend. Since then we have wanted to help others who are in as much pain as Ed was. After Ed’s death, Brin struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Brin tried counseling, but it only made it worse. We found a new counselor that we both went to and things started to improve. She advised us to find something to fill the daily void left by losing Ed. My name is Kim Boyer and I am one of the founding board members of Jeepers Preventing Suicide. I wanted to become involved with JPS to help people who suffer from depression or have psychological challenges. Having depression & anxiety myself and my husband who struggles with depression and bipolar disorder, I have a unique prospective of seeing things from both sides. My husband Brad is the founder and President of JPS. I also knew Ed, Jon, and Bob but was not as close to them as Brad. I was by Brad’s side through each of these deaths by suicide. I saw the toll each one took on Brad and had watch as he struggled to understand why this happened to each of these great people. He always wondered what he could have done to help. Part of our mission at JPS is to connect the recourses that are out there with people like Ed, Jon, and Bob that are struggling. We also want to educate about the warning signs in an effort to end the epidemic of suicide. I am very privileged to be a part of JPS and know that we will be able to reach people in need. Hello Everyone! My name is Lisa Felder and I currently serve as the Secretary of the Board for Jeepers Preventing Suicide. I have made a pledge to do all that I can to fulfill the mission of Jeepers Preventing Suicide and I am excited for the opportunity to do so. I have considerable experience in the non-profit world that I bring to JPS. I have worked for non-profits in the past, specifically non-profits that serve people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. In addition to employment, I volunteer and have served as a Board Member for other charitable organizations. I feel so honored to have been asked to serve as Secretary of the Board for JPS. I feel I can be an asset to JPS by sharing my knowledge and experience of the non-profit world. Personally my life has been impacted by mental and emotional challenges, so I understand the great need for awareness and education to prevent suicide. I feel strongly that the stigma surrounding mental and emotional disorders needs to be broken, so that those who are in need will feel more comfortable asking for help. As a founding Board Member of Jeepers Preventing Suicide, I know I am in the best place I can be to help put an end to the suicide and attempted suicide epidemic. If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself, or are concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting himself or herself, You can find help in locating a mental health professional by consulting with your health care provider, Employee Assistance Program, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) A diagnostic evaluation by a healthcare professional is always necessary to determine whether or not there is the presence/absence of depression/suicide. The information on this site is intended to help users learn about suicide and suicide prevention. It is provided for informational and referral purposes only. The web site should NOT be used as a substitute for medical advice, counseling, or other health-related services or as replacement for the services of a trained medical or mental health professional. Jeepers Preventing Suicide does not make any warranty that information contained on this page, or on any site linked to this page, is complete, accurate or up-to-date; If you choose to visit other sites, Jeepers Preventing Suicide is not responsible for another site’s privacy practices or content. Welcome to Jeepers Preventing Suicide, please let us introduce ourselves. On May 30, 2016, Jeepers Preventing Suicide (JPS) had its Inaugural Board Meeting. JPS is a group of Jeep enthusiasts in the Tallahassee area whose lives have been impacted by the loss of a loved one to suicide. Our vision is to provide a community of hope and healing for those whose lives have been impacted by suicide. JPS is not only for Jeepers. Our mission is to help individuals, their families, and friends on how to recognize the warning signs of suicide in an effort to eliminate the epidemic. Everyone is invited to join our cause. We want to end the stigma. Overcoming stigma and talking openly about suicide is the key to prevention. Together we can help prevent and reduce suicide.