Break Through the Static, an organization centered around supporting teens who have lost loved ones to suicide, is dissolving. Jade Chamness, the founder, flew to South Korea yesterday to leave Static behind and start a new chapter of her life.
“I realized I cannot be the leader that Static needs and grow as I need to as an individual,” Chamness said. “Therefore, I have begun the process to dissolve the corporation.”
The breaking up of the organization, which has been around to support teenagers in need since 2009, is sure to hit some people hard. However, the last thing Chamness wants to do is leave the kids she and Static have been working with in the lurch.
“I am working with partner organizations and schools to ensure the teens we served have the services they need,” Chamness said. “Together we have compiled a list of support and resources that was disseminated by the teens Static served.”
You can find some of these at the bottom of this article.
Palo Alto High School senior Lindsay Sapigao was very involved with Static, and, though Chamness maintains there are many other similar groups out there, Sapigao is saddened by the ending of such an important organization.
“I can’t think of any other groups that are quite like Static,” she said. “I was deeply saddened by the news of [its] dissolvement.”
However, like Chamness, she hopes a new group will come along to fill the hole Static has left behind.
“Although Static is gone, its message is not,” Sapigao said. “This is just the beginning of fostering youth affected by suicide…Hopefully a similar group will come again soon.”
And what’s next for Chamness?
“I will fly to South Korea with a one-way ticket to begin a big adventure with no goal in mind except to rest and rejuvenate,” she said. “I cannot wait to discover and learn and grow.”
Resources for Teens in Need
HEARD Alliance Coordinator: (650) 725-7924
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital @ Stanford Intake: (650) 723-7704
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Intake: (650) 853-4726
Santa Clara County Hotline: 1-800-704-0900
San Francisco Suicide Prevention: http://www.sfsuicide.org/
Adolescent Counseling Services: www.acs-teens.org
ACS: After School Counseling Service (ASCP) and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment (ASAT): (650)-424-0852
Kara Grief Support: www.kara-grief.org, (650) 321-5272
Project Outlet: www.projectoutlet.org
Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC): www.chacmy.org, (650) 965-2020
Suicide+Crisis Hotline: (855) 278-4204
Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth: (866) 488-7386
TeenLine: (408) 276-8228
EMQ 24 hr. Crisis Line: (408) 379-9085
Alcohol and Drug Helpline: (650) 579-0350
Domestic Violence: (800) 940-7850
Kids’ Turn-Parental Separation/Divorce: (415) 437-0700
Rape Crisis Center: (408) 287-3000
Runaway Youth-National Hotline: (800) 621-4000