March 2026 Newsletter
Hello and Happy Spring!
As we emerge from a brutally cold winter, we are excited to see buds on the many trees on our property and are looking forward to all the leaves and flowers blooming to create a beautiful tapestry of nature. This backdrop perfectly embodies the healing setting that we are creating for our participants. We continue to make great progress on many fronts and are hard at work fulfilling our mission to help young adults struggling with depression and anxiety.
Students Behind Our Social Media
We are so fortunate to be in the backyard of the University of Michigan for many reasons. One of them is the way we can involve students in our work, specifically our outreach. We have always relied on University of Michigan students to execute our social media posts and we’re so grateful for the ways they have used their creativity to harness such compelling messages about our work. We wanted to take a moment to recognize these current and former students. We so appreciate their contributions to Garrett’s Space!
Julie Krasnick
Julie was our inaugural student who kicked off our social media posts. She joined us in the midst of COVID in March 2021 when she was a freshman and stayed with us until she graduated in 2024. She was drawn to the work and wanted to help raise awareness around mental health. “What I most enjoyed about working on Garrett’s Space’s social media was the opportunity to be part of an organization with such a powerful mission. It was incredibly rewarding to know that my work was helping amplify messages around mental health and suicide prevention, and contributing in some way to reaching people who might need support,” she said. The experience helped her learn how vital Garrett’s Space is for young adults. “Having a dedicated environment for connection, healing, and understanding can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” she said. Garrett’s Space “represents a place where individuals can find support, build community, and feel less alone.” Julie is now a software engineer at Viam, a robotics software startup in New York City where she lives. Her experience with Garrett’s Space helped her to understand how to translate meaningful ideas into clear, thoughtful content. “That experience strengthened my ability to think about clarity, intention and impact – skills that I continue to apply in my work today when building and collaborating on new systems.”
Hailey Mauro
Hailey was our social media intern for the summer of 2024, joining us through the University of Michigan’s Development Summer Internship Program. “Garrett’s Space drew me in for its dedication and connection to the Washtenaw County area and beyond, as well as its care for the young adult population,” she said. “I enjoyed being able to bring out the calming and hopeful presence Garrett’s Space already has in the community and translate that into social media. The organization has a lot of heart, and you want that to show through in posts; I appreciated being able to contribute to that.” She enjoyed having the chance to share the messaging about an organization that she believes is “on the verge of providing a new standard of care to a population that is oftentimes overlooked— something that is deeply needed locally, and beyond.” She urges supporters to “go to an event, attend the next fundraiser, truly engage with Garrett’s Space, and you will feel the hope that social media can only begin to capture.” Hailey graduated in May 2025 and is now working for the University of Michigan’s Kessler Scholars Program, a scholarship program for first-generation students, where her responsibilities including supporting communications and student engagement. “Garrett’s Space gave me a strong foundation in engaging with community members, understanding the structure and heart of a local nonprofit, and developing my ability to design and communicate care. These skills have carried forward directly into my work today,” she said.
Lana Haddad
Lana currently handles our social media and began working with us in September of 2024. We were connected to her through the University of Michigan’s Ginsberg Center Community Leadership Fellowship, an incredible program that partners University of Michigan students with local nonprofits. She was drawn to our mission to provide accessible mental health support for young adults. “What stood out to me was not just the services offered, but the emphasis on connection and community,” she said. “As a young adult, I’ve seen how common mental health challenges are and how difficult it can be to find support that feels approachable and accessible. Garrett’s Space addresses that gap.”
Lana will be heading to medical school this summer. As a future physician, she hopes to contribute to a healthcare environment “where individuals feel heard, respected, and supported.” In her role executing Garrett’s Space’s social media, she’s most enjoyed the opportunity to use communication as a tool to support people in a meaningful way. “Creating content around mental health and suicide prevention requires a level of thoughtfulness and responsibility that I’ve come to value deeply. I’ve learned how important tone, language, and intention are when speaking about sensitive topics, and how small shifts in messaging can make content feel more inclusive and supportive.” She added that the experience “has also reinforced the idea that sometimes the most meaningful messages are simple, honest, and grounded in shared experience.” She wants others to know that Garrett’s Space is more than a resource. It is a community. “The organization is built on the belief that no one should have to navigate mental health challenges alone, and that belief is reflected in everything it does. It creates spaces where people can show up as they are and feel genuinely supported!”
Melina Schaefer
Melina handled our communications and social media from June 2022 to August 2023, spending much of her summers during that time developing creative posts for our annual fundraiser. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2023. She uses some of the skills acquired at Garrett's Space in her current role as account executive in social media marketing at FINN Partners, an advertising firm in New York City.
Would you like to be our next social media intern – or do you know someone who would like to be? We are looking for a student who is creative, skilled in graphic design and is drawn to our mission. If you’re interested, details are here.
Save the date!
Concert4aCause
Please join us on Wednesday, April 9th at 7pm for an evening of soothing classical music by talented University of Michigan musicians while supporting Garrett's Space. All proceeds from this concert benefit our organization. Details are here.
Yoga at the Big House
We are delighted to be one of two beneficiaries of this event on Saturday, August 8th. Join 1,000 people to practice yoga on the field. This is an inspiring and important way to raise awareness of suicide prevention. Details and a link to buy tickets are here. The event always sells out so don’t delay in registering!
Go4GarretsSpace
We invite you to our seventh annual fundraiser, on Saturday, August 29th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at WCC’s Morris Lawrence Building. The evening is intended to be inspiring, educational and entertaining, reflecting the impact of our work. In addition to light food and refreshments, there will be an auction, a performance by a University of Michigan Acapella group and the opportunity to participate in a healing sound bath and a meditation session. Mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss this exciting event!
Updates On Our Home
Our residential center at 3900 North Dixboro Road is taking shape! The structural framing of the residence has begun. Construction of the new residential center is due to be completed by April 2027. We will run it as a day program for a year before offering residential programming.
Join Our Team!
We are currently hiring a Marketing and Communications Coordinator. If you or someone you know is interested in handling our important outreach responsibilities, including the creation of this newsletter, details and a job description are here. Please consider applying and spread the word!
Volunteers needed for Auction for Annual Fundraiser: Last year, our auction raised over $30,000. That was due to the hard work of our awesome team of volunteers who secured donations from local businesses. This need not be a major time commitment. If you want to be a part of the engine that accounts for a substantial amount of money raised for Garrett’s Space, please email Rachel Chapman: rsulkows@umich.edu
Did You Know?
Depression rates continue to skyrocket.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics found that the prevalence of depression in U.S. adolescents and adults increased 60% in the past decade. The report found that 87.9% of adolescents and adults reported difficulty with work, home, or social activities due to their depression symptoms, while 31.2% reported extreme difficulty in performing these activities.
Garrett’s Space seeks to address this growing problem – and its many consequences – by bringing together young adults with trained facilitators, showing them they are not alone in their struggles by sharing strategies for coping with emotional adversity.
How You Can Help
Thank you for your generous contributions to our efforts! Your support makes our free wellness groups and gatherings possible while we build toward the vision for our residential center. Here's how you can stay involved:
Volunteer: Join our team supporting events and mission-critical tasks. Sign up for our volunteer email list.
Donate: Every contribution directly supports programs offering hope and healing to young adults. Donate at our website or join the Cardinal Circle for monthly giving.
Spread the Word: Follow us on Instagram and Facebook and share our mission to grow our community of support.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE AT RISK, PLEASE REACH OUT AND LET THEM KNOW YOU CARE AND CHECK OUR CRISIS RESOURCES.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS HAVING THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE, CALL OR TEXT 988 TO REACH THE SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE.