<p>In 2017, Francine Sumner lost her youngest son Zachary to suicide.</p>
<p>
&ldquo;I was looking to blame whoever or whatever I could, but after taking a good, hard look at that story, we realized that stigma played the starring role,&rdquo; Sumner stated.
</p>
<p>This realization allowed her to channel her pain into purpose. She founded the nonprofit organization Kid in the Corner to promote <a href="https://www.azblue.com/behavioral-health" target="_self">mental health awareness</a> and support those struggling with mental illness.</p>
<h5>
<strong>Shattering the stigma</strong></h5>
<p>
&ldquo;We started this organization to shatter the stigma that surrounds mental health and support the kid in the corner, whoever that may be,&rdquo; Sumner, CEO of Kid in the Corner, explained.
</p>
<p><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kidinthecorner.org/" target="_blank">Kid in the Corner</a> provides the &lsquo;Penny Pledge Program&rsquo; for students in grades 4 through 12, featuring in-person presentations and conversations about stigma, mental health, and suicide prevention.
</p>
<p>&ldquo;We are out there in schools sitting on the floor with youth, moving the chairs away, sitting in a circle, and having these conversations with them directly to ensure genuine connection,&rdquo; Sumner explained. &ldquo;We are giving them the tools, skills, and resources they need to be able to recognize what&rsquo;s going on, talk about it, support their peers, support themselves, and know what to do if someone came up to them and said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m struggling, I want to take my life.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
<p>
Kid in the Corner has reached over 30,000 kids and teens to date.
</p>
<h5><strong>Striving to change the statistics and save lives</strong></h5>
<p>
Did you know?
</p>
<ul>
    <li>40% of <a href="https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/yrbs/results/2021/az-yrbs-mental-health-2021.pdf">Arizona teens</a> report poor mental health</li>
    <li>
    Nearly 25% of Arizona teens report having suicidal thoughts</li>
</ul>
<p>
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t change Zachary&rsquo;s story, but I know we can change other stories, and we are &ndash; we absolutely are. And I get to work with Zachary every day,&rdquo; Sumner said.
</p>
<p>Need immediate help? Call or text <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://teenlifeline.org/" target="_blank">Teen Lifeline</a> or <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://988lifeline.org/" target="_blank">988</a>, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.</p>
<h5>
<strong>Take the pledge</strong></h5>
<p>
Since Zachary was a coin collector, Kid in the Corner has a &lsquo;Penny Pledge,&rsquo; a commitment to:
</p>
<ul>
    <li>Reach out to the kid in the corner. Say hello, smile, ask where they&rsquo;ve been.</li>
    <li>
    Be aware of your own mental health.</li>
    <li>
    Be a safe and caring person that others can talk to.</li>
</ul>
<p>
You can order a penny and take the pledge here: <a href="https://www.kidinthecorner.org/the-penny-pledge">The Penny Pledge | Kid in the Corner</a>. With a shared goal of shattering mental health stigma, you can take AZ Blue&rsquo;s <a href="http://azblue.com/stigmafreeaz" target="_self">Stigma-Free AZ pledge</a>, too.
</p>
<h5><strong>Watch the video</strong></h5>
<p>
Kid in the Corner was a 2023 <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.azbluefoundation.org/" target="_blank">AZ Blue Foundation</a> grantee. &ldquo;We were so blessed to be a grant recipient last year,&rdquo; Sumner said. &ldquo;It helped us reach more students, hire a program manager, and provide our free programming in schools.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
Kid in the Corner additionally received $1,000 as a finalist for the Courage in Action Awards at the AZ Blue Foundation State of Mind: 2024 Mental Health Summit.</p>
<p>To learn more about Kid in the Corner and the other finalists who are making a difference in our state through their mental health work, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azbluefoundation.org/events/mental-health-summit">Mental Health Summit</a>.</p>

Community Partner Highlight: How Kid in Corner is Shattering Stigma 

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