Six Feet Over

About Six Feet Over

Mental health and suicide impact every demographic, every race, every culture, every socioeconomic group, everyone. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to get the facts and support around these issues, and that it is our responsibility to bring the opportunity to the people, not expect them to come to us. 

Six Feet Over is focused on helping communities that aren't regularly sought out by mainstream suicide prevention and mental health outreach organizations. Those with a shortage of access, those in 'non-mainstream' communities, those with cultural stigma around the topics, and those who feel more comfortable meeting outside of a community center or place of worship, or are likely to not attend events like those to discuss these deep topics for a variety of reasons. 

Where Does the Donation Go?

These funds will help us continue our mission of helping families after a loss to suicide with financial assistance for the costs associated with loss, resources to help them move forward and heal, as well as continuing to support all of Michigan with their questions, resource requests, and open ears ready to listen through our Lemon Aid program. Lemon Aid offers assistance on average between $2,500 and $4,500 per family and has helped 37 families in the past 8. For 2022, we expect to reach a new record of families this year applying for the financial and resource assistance, as we have already helped fund the same amount that we did in all of 2021 by June 31, 2022. We now have 4 families on our waitlist and we are working with 2 families actively.

Why Do We Do This?

Suicide loss is an extremely traumatic experience and exposure to suicide loss is a risk factor for suicide. Alongside the exposure risk factor, many of the stressors that could also contribute to someone feeling suicidal come with the unexpected loss and feelings associated with suicide loss. These include financial concerns, community connection, access to grief or general counseling, emotional support and many others. 

You often hear about clusters of suicides in families and schools, while we don't know exactly why these happen we do have clues. Six Feet Over wants to end the cycle of suicide in families and communities by addressing the various pieces that contribute to more suicides after loss and mental health concerns, while also bringing closure and dignity to both the loss survivors and the person lost to suicide

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What is Suck It! Suicide?

Suck It! Suicide is the outreach program of Six Feet Over, which also does the bulk of the fundraising for Six Feet Over through merchandise sales and in person donations. Suck It! Suicide (SIS) specializes in community outreach, doing so in unconventional ways and places. 

We have chosen to focus our outreach in places that generally aren't often at the top of other mental health and suicide prevention organizations lists to do so. SIS is often seen at community festivals, Pride events, concerts, local shows and sometimes just hanging out at a bar. Our founder, Kate Hardy, never felt comfortable in the mainstream...of anything really, so when she created this program she made it for communities that wouldn't seek the information on their own because of: stigma, comfort levels, knowing what to search, who to ask, shame, etc. 

She also felt that there needed to be something that was less "pastel and kittens hanging from a branch poster", and something people would identify with, find cool, and be comfortable approaching because it didn't appear or present as a conventional mental health and suicide prevention non profit. Over time, we have found that folks from all walks of lives identify with SIS and its culture, and we will love them all!

We see mental health and suicide prevention as something  you CAN ask questions about, you CAN admit to dealing with, and you should be able to do so without judgment from others or fear of being labeled dangerous, 'crazy', unlovable, a burden, ignorant, or weird. SIS takes pride in supporting every person who needs it, no matter what they look like, what they believe, who they love, or how they identify. We also believe that laughter heals, and we make sure our outreach table is filled with laughs along with the hugs and occasional tears.

SIS is real people, giving real space, real time, real love and real knowledge to other very real people, while having a great time, selling merch and raising money to help people in need.