Local Girl Scouts, suicide prevention project make us Proud to be from Pittsburgh

WASHINGTON, Pa. — A local Girl Court troop has built a garden from the ground up, and the motivation for the project might surprise you: suicide prevention.

“We all have experiences with mental illness, and we kind of know, firsthand, what people need. We kind of looked around, and we didn’t really see anyone doing anything about it, and we wanted to change that,” said Sydney Gardner.

Gardner, Zooey Dinch and Chelsea Patrick are part of Girl Scout Troop 52020. The You Matter Serenity Garden in Washington was their handiwork.

“I wanted somewhere for kids to go so they could be uplifted,” Dinch said.

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The 14-year-olds took a blank slate of land positioned between Washington and Trinity High Schools and transformed it into the garden. They said the stress of trying to fit in, school work and cyberbullying contribute to negative thoughts. That’s behind a resource board they erected at the site, and they hope their message of hope wins out over suicide.

The You Matter Serenity Garden is making us Proud to be from Pittsburgh.

Here are some resources if you, or a loved one, needs help or just want more information:

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: Text TWLOHA to 741-741

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Prevent Suicide PA

To Write Love on Her Arms

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