4Jake

09/03/2026

You don’t have to d*e to matter. 🫶
You matter right now.
You matter as you are.
You are worthy of being loved and seen exactly as you are right now.
There’s no need to be different, perfect, or someone else.
You, just you, are worthy of living a beautiful life.
You matter.

09/02/2026

09/01/2026

September is Su***de Prevention Month. While the national statistics for youth su***de are staggering, Missouri and Christian County tend to have an even higher rate of youth su***de than the national average.
This month we will remember and hold space for all those we have lost.
Over the summer the Springfield/ Nixa/ Monett area lost 3 men to su***de back to back, all impacting their individual communities greatly. For us in Nixa, we lost a former police officer and SRO that used to quietly work alongside 4Jake in the early stages. Joe Daugherty was a trauma informed officer, he worked with youth and was active in su***de prevention campaigns. He had a loving family, he was a wonderful father, and despite all of his knowledge and successes, he was overcome with his own demons. Su***de can easily impact anyone and it’s usually the people you least expect.

As we go forward in September let’s remember that su***de has no specific face. We can look for all the signs, we can show up and support, but it will be a rare thing for someone struggling to reach out or let anyone know they are suffering. Let’s make sure we are checking on our strongest friends, our happiest appearing friends, the ones making everyone else laugh and showing up for their people, they’re usually the ones suffering the most.

Rest in Peace to all we’ve lost. Please add their names in the comments below with your favorite memory so everyone else can see how much they are loved and how much they mattered.

08/16/2026

Every year I struggle with the right words to say on his birthday.
Grief comes with a lot of what ifs. Honestly, it’s one of the hardest parts to navigate.
Today Jake would be 19, he would be going to college, still playing PlayStation and jamming out to 80s music with his mom. They would be dorm decorating and eating wings.
So much of Jake’s story and memory is showing the what could have beens. It’s reminding everyone that no matter how heavy things seem, there’s always something to look forward to, there’s always people that love you and would miss you if you were gone, there’s always the what if’s and what could have beens left behind.

Today do something that brings Jake’s memory alive. Blast the music, eat the food, make someone laugh, hug the people you love, tell someone they matter.

Happy heavenly birthday Jake. We still think about you everyday and we love you so much.

08/02/2026

07/17/2026

Head to 14 Mill Market Food Hall to support today. Thanks to Not'cho Ordinary Taco for putting this on.

07/12/2026

Jake’s name will be on the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope 💜

05/18/2026

To our Nixa 2026 Seniors,
You were the 7th grade class in the junior high when tragedy struck that day. Jake was your friend too and his loss echoed through the halls like a shadow or a ghost until you left for high school. You saw the aftermath first hand and saw where You Matter came from. You knew that if Jake, or anyone else could see the heartbreak and hole they left behind, they wouldn’t do it. Through the years we’ve worked to stay in your lives and continue to remind kids that while things feel dark, there is always light and you (yes YOU) have an impact in this world. We need you. With all your quirks or flaws or failures, you, your story, your light, makes a difference here. As this new class, the last class that can remember the impact first hand, walks into the next chapters of their lives, please remember these words (I encourage you to find Paige’s full speech and all 26 tips ) and remember that while this chapter is over, beautiful and amazing things are ahead of you. Congrats Seniors! Remember YOU matter.
And if you ever need reminding when you feel like you don’t, text 988 or message us here.

05/01/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. When we first started 4Jake and started having these conversations around mental health we realized a few themes very quickly:
Men and boys weren’t allowed to show a range of emotions.

No one wanted to discuss su***de or mental health at all. The community as a whole had a belief that if you don’t talk about it then it doesn’t exist.

And that discussing su***de prevention and metal health had to be sad topics.

The reality is that if someone is struggling with mental health or su***de ideation, they’re already thinking about it. They want to be happy and joyful and are at times, but the sadness is deeper than just a bad day. Mental health encompasses so many more things than just depression or anxiety. It’s big life changes, it’s financial struggles, it’s illness, it’s grief, it’s not fitting in, it’s love, it’s social and cultural conversations.
The more we discuss it, the more light we shine in a positive way, the more these issues and topics can become normalized and people stop suffering in shame.
This month we challenge everyone to investigate their own mental health, how they show up for others, how others show up for them. What life changes are you experiencing? Where are you struggling? Where are you happy? Do you know the signs someone is suicidal?
Let’s continue the conversation and have more good days together.