Stay; For Life - so much power in three words and a punctuation mark.
Who we are; we are a Maine-based, grassroots 501c(3) nonprofit organization whose goal is to save lives by advocating for men's mental health awareness and suicide prevention. We strive to combat the stigma surrounding mental health, specifically for men, by facilitating discussions about mental health and suicide. Though our focus remains on men’s mental health, our mission work extends far beyond this. Our team conducts public speaking events for student bodies, community functions and meetings, and provides free-of-cost resource materials through many various avenues. We are a hub of information and resources for anyone seeking help, with targeted information and resources for those dealing with suicidal ideation, mental health challenges, suicide loss survivors, veterans, and LGBTQ+. Who make up our team; intially founded by Donnie, Angela, Amy and Margo, today's team is comprised of Angela (Executive Director), and Board Members Donnie, Margo, Josh, and Katie.
Why we are doing this; on June 19, 2022 Angela's 18 year old son, Trent, took his life. Angela lost one of her sons, Donnie lost one of his step-sons, Amy lost a young man she loved as her own, and Margo lost one of her nephews.
Since our establishment in August 2022, we have distributed over 150 Comfort Boxes to those who have lost loved ones to suicide. It’s estimated that in our first year we had direct connection with almost 4,000 individuals, with thousands more since. During the holiday season of 2022, we initiated 'Trent's Tree,' an interactive production that helps people cope with losing loved ones to suicide or honor those struggling with mental health challenges during the holiday season. Trent’s Tree 2025 expanded to 15 locations throughout Maine, including the University of Maine at Orono and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. With the assistance of mental health professionals, we’ve developed Stay; Man to Man Peer Support Group; a free weekly group that men can utilize to help them with the challenges they face daily. Since its launch, we now host two weekly locations for the group meetings. In November 2024 Angela served as keynote speaker to over 200 mental health professionals from throughout Maine. As a result, Stay; For Life worked with close to 100 Maine schools to help deliver critical information to students and staff. Future plans involve the hope to defray the cost of therapy for individuals without insurance coverage, expanding our public speaking opportunities, further developing our suicide loss survivors support, and becoming involved in addressing problems in our nation's healthcare system.
Our projects have been featured on local news broadcasts, print media and radio. We’ve received nods of encouragement, praise, and support from public figures such as Glenn Beck, Gordon McInally - Rotary International President, and Devin Powell. Our co-founder and executive director, Angela, was chosen as one of Hannaford’s 2024 20 Outstanding Women in Maine, as well as the 2024 Myra Kraft MVP Award (Kraft Family, New England Patriots and Gillette Foundation) for her work in mental health and suicide prevention. In 2026 Stay; For Life was recognized by NAMI Maine and Maine Department of Health and Human Services, with the CAL-ME award, for making a significant impact on the lives of Maine communities, by way of suicide prevention.
We're moving mountains.
The Stay: For Life website should not be used as a substitute for medical advice, counseling, or health-related services. We do not offer crisis counseling or emergency services. If you feel that you are in a crisis situation, please call 911 or go to your closest emergency room. You can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. It is a free, 24-hour hotline should you or someone you know feel suicidal or think about hurting themself.
