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The Democrat’s former newsroom has played host to some interesting sites over the years … giant cabbages and six-foot snake skins proudly offered by readers; governors, senators, lawmakers and business leaders seeking to sway public opinion or argue a point; even an internal organ kept in formaldehyde on a reporter’s desk (you can’t make this up).

Walking through the space this week I had to stop and look around. Never did I imagine a day when we’d see a baby crib and a medical potty chair; clothes piled high on a desk; and framed artwork and dozens of objects d’art collected in boxes, waiting for just the right person to come along and take them home. The items, and many more, are donations being collected for the annual Gayrage Sale hosted by Y’all Means All Natchez.

Thanks to a scheduling conflict and a timely conversation, we were able to donate extra space in our building to the good folks at Y’all Means All for the May 17 and 18 Gayrage Sale, and during the past month donated items have begun arriving for the sale. This week, though, what began as an exercise in supporting a community event became something else altogether

I learned this week that a former co-worker’s teenage stepson committed suicide, a response to being upset with his mother about a decision she made. The death has rocked the community and those who know the family, as people try to come to grips with the loss of a young life.

The news came on the same day I saw a headline about a 10-year-old girl in another state who committed suicide because, as her parents said, her empathy made her a target of bullies. A year ago in Brookhaven, we mourned the loss of a young boy in Franklin County who reportedly committed suicide after being bullied at school. A decade ago, we lost a young girl in my son’s school to suicide. And in any given week, you could probably find news reports of similar incidents around the nation.

Statistics tell us that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among teens and young adults ages 10 to 34 and the eighth-leading cause of death among children ages 5 to 11 years old. Yes, you read that correctly: 5 to 11 years old. Nearly 2 million adolescents attempt suicide each year, and according to the Children’s Hospital Association’s Pediatric Health Information System, children’s hospitals saw a 166% increase in emergency department visits for suicide attempts and self-injury among children from ages 5 to 18.

The root causes of this increasing epidemic are many and none have easy solutions. The challenges young people face today are incomprehensible to many adults whose worst fears in high school were how to dress or whether or not they would be cutting class. Now as parents, we face even greater fears as we watch our children and others fall victim to suicide.

The problem can seem overwhelming. And while we pray – often and fervently, for the young people in our lives and those we don’t know – we often feel at a loss for tangible action.

That’s where that garage sale comes into play.

Y’all Means All began in 2019 as a support community to raise awareness of mental health issues and to provide support for suicide prevention in the Miss-Lou. While its impetus was a response to the death of a member of the LGBTQ+ community, its reach has grown well beyond that community. The original mission was to raise funds for individuals who have limited or no ability to pay for mental health services and the opportunity to obtain needed assistance.

Through grants to mental health organizations and programs, the group has aided Southwest Mississippi Regional Health Services and NAMI, both organizations which seek to provide help to those struggling with suicidal thoughts or intentions. In addition, the group has begun awarding an annual scholarship of up to $20,000 to a college junior who is majoring in a mental health field.

The volunteers with Y’all Means All – and the thousands of community members who support their efforts – are making a tangible difference. Scholarships help train future mental health professionals; grants help support counseling and intervention programs right here, available right now; and the events raise awareness of topics and issues that we need to think about and care about.

So as The Democrat’s former newsroom fills with boxes and piles, it would be easy to see only the discarded treasures waiting to be tagged and labeled for sale. Look a little deeper, and you’ll see help for somebody’s child and hope for a life saved.

Stacy G. Graning is publisher of The Democrat. You can contact her at stacy.graning@natchezdemocrat.com. Anyone interested in making a monetary donation or in donating items for the sale can contact Thomas Williams at 601.493.4597 of watch the  Y’all Means All Facebook page for information about dropoff times and locations.