Written by Stephanie Myers with cousincrewclothing.com
I wanted to take the time today to tell you a little bit about ourselves and our ultimate goal in starting our own business. We’re just getting started on this journey and learning as we go.
Our goal is to start a foundation in the name of our brothers who have passed away. One died by suicide in 2018 at 18 years old and one due to complications of drug addiction in 2020 at 28 years old. Ten percent of gross sales on our website or our mobile site will go to this foundation. The hope behind establishing this organization is to be able to reach out to all who are hurting and provide a safe haven. Particular areas of concern are depression and anxiety in all of our youth; LGTBQ issues such as homelessness and low self-esteem; alcohol and drug addiction; and PTSD in everyone, especially in service members. These are the issues that have been plaguing our society in recent years and have led to a large increase in suicide among young people. These issues are near and dear to our hearts, as they have hit so very close to home.
It has been a rough couple of years to say the least. We’ve always been a close family. Losing our baby brother in 2018 was devastating. It shattered all of our worlds. Dylan was brilliant, compassionate, caring and determined. He was so incredibly inappropriate and hilarious. He was a light in our lives that was extinguished far too soon. They say you can see warning signs. We saw none. He was struggling with depression and we didn’t even know. He was hurting and kept it from us. 2018 was when our other brother took a turn in life that he was never able to come back from. Steven was kind, charming, intelligent and creative. He was never one to shy away from conversation or a debate. He struggled with his mental health and depression as Dylan had. Steven also kept a lot of it from us. He struggled with drug addiction as well. We could see it though. I saw he was struggling and tried to help him. He had so much life left to live.
Depression and drug addiction are two very unforgiving illnesses. There is no cure, no remission. You live with them throughout your life. With the right treatment and support you can live with them though. You can live a long and happy life. We want to be able to provide people with that treatment and support to help them on their way to recovery. We want to be there for people that may not have anywhere to go. We want to be a family to those who need one. It is going to take some time and a lot of hard work, but we hope to be able to do all of this very soon.
We’re starting to earn money through our business to get this foundation up and running. Our hope is to help as many people as possible. Though, if I can help just one it would be worth it. We want to be able to have a physical location for the foundation. A place for people who are struggling to come and feel accepted, supported and uplifted. We want people to be able to come together and talk about their struggles and know that they are not alone. Some don’t see the incredible value their lives hold. We want to help shine a light. If no one has told you today, you are loved. The world is a better place while you’re in it.
“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” Glenn Close.