By talking openly about mental health, St. Louis family honors heritage and helps others

Jenna Zeller remembers her brother Jake Zeller as resourceful and having the ability to make people feel loved, welcomed and wanted.

“I think he had an old-fashioned soul and was able to make friends with people very easily,” she said. “He was a great guy and a great brother. We will miss him.”

Jake Zeller, 24, took his own life in December 2013. A few days later, his family had to decide: “What should we tell people?”

“My father looked at us and said, ‘We tell people the truth,'” Jenna Zeller said. “He said, ‘There’s nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of Jake, so we’re not going to start now.’ That was such a relief.”

The family’s decision to speak openly about their experiences led them on a mission to destigmatize mental illness and improve access to mental health services. Thirteen years later, their non-profit team, Jakey, has raised more than $500,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Provident Behavioral Health Foundation in St. Louis.

“When you donate a certain amount of money, they quantify it and say, ‘For $10,000, I can see and treat this many patients,'” Jenna Zeller said. “Through our donations, we have been able to impact and help thousands of people in St. Louis. [to] Provident behavioral health. ”

The nonprofit’s next fundraiser is Team Jakey’s tap Thursday at 4 Hands Brewery in downtown St. Louis. This family-friendly event will feature live music, raffles, a mobile photo booth, magicians, conversations about mental health and how to access services, and more.

On Sept. 19, the annual Team Jakey Fest will feature a cornhole tournament and live music from Trilogy, the Steve Ewing Band and Samba Bomb.

“We are the fun uncles and aunts of mental health,” said Logan Janis, executive director of Team Jakey. “I might go to two, three, four, five Team Jakey events and not talk to anyone,” he said. “And you might come. [back]and you’re now in a group chat – you’ve probably made a friend. I think that’s what we need to do here: be friendly, approachable, and spread the word that help is available. ”

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those who want to help someone. To speak to a trained listener, call 988. 988lifeline.org Click here to learn more about our Crisis Chat service or to learn more.

To learn more about Team Jakey’s events and discuss the importance of reaching out to those who may be struggling, apple podcast, spotify, YouTube Or click the play button below.

Related events
what: Team Jakey’s Tap
Date and time: May 21st from 4pm to 9pm
Location: 4 Hands Brewery, 1220 S. 8th St., St. Louis, MO 63104

what: 13th Annual Team Jakey Fest
Date and time: September 19th, 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Knights of Columbus Council 2951, 50 Saint Francois St., Florissant, MO 63031

“St. Louis on the Airtells the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work, and create in the region. Mia Norfleet, emily woodberry, Danny Wiszentowski, Elaine Cha and alex heuer. Leila Khalil Basic She is our production assistant. The sound engineer aaron doerr.