alifeYOUnited

06/08/2026

A little update from my heart.

For years, alifeYOUnited has been one of the most meaningful parts of my life.

What began as an idea grew into conversations, classrooms, community events, research projects, friendships, tears, hope, and a mission that changed me forever.

Through this work, I’ve had the solemn privilege of supporting grieving parents, helping families navigate crisis, researching su***de prevention, creating curriculum, building partnerships, and working alongside extraordinary people committed to belonging, resilience, and mental health.

During that time, we distributed more than 100,000 crisis resource bracelets and over 60,000 su***de prevention resource cards. More importantly, we created conversations that mattered.

I am endlessly grateful to every parent, student, educator, volunteer, board member, colleague, and supporter who became part of this journey.

Over the last few years, the work began to evolve. Schools and organizations increasingly sought curriculum, training, educational resources, and sustainable partnerships. Eventually, it became clear that the structure needed to evolve too.

With the support of our board and the Gonzaga Law Clinic, we made the difficult decision to dissolve alifeYOUnited’s federal 501(c)(3) status and transition the work into 2B Learning Labs LLC.

I want to be very clear:

This is not the end of alifeYOUnited.

The mission is not disappearing.
The curriculum is not disappearing.
The resource cards are not disappearing.

If anything, the heart behind this work is becoming woven into everything I do next.

Going forward, alifeYOUnited will continue as the community-focused arm of 2B Learning Labs, allowing the work to continue in a more sustainable way.

Right now, it feels a little like a cocoon.
Quiet.
Transforming.
Gathering strength for whatever comes next.

For a long time, I’ve carried guilt that I had somehow failed this organization - and all of you - by letting it become quieter than it once was.

What I understand now is that sometimes growth doesn’t look like holding on.
Sometimes growth looks like making room for something new.

The mission remains the same.
Community matters.
Belonging matters.
People matter.

And people deserve compassionate support while learning how to survive being human.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for supporting me and believing in this mission. Thank you for trusting me with your stories - and for some of you, inviting me in to help with some of the hardest moments of your lives. I do not take it lightly that you trusted me in the hardest of times. I hope you’ll continue to follow both alifeYOUnited and 2B Learning Labs as this next chapter unfolds.

I love your faces. Take such good care of you. 🧡

Mary

09/11/2024

Today and always, you matter.
Please be gracious and kind to yourself and your neighbor. You are irreplaceable.

Take such good care of you. 🧡
***depreventionmonth ***depreventionday ***depreventionweek ***deprevention

06/14/2024

Important info for parents of teens with social media.

Sadfishing is a fairly new term describing social media behavior which can mean your child is suffering emotionally. Experts break down what it means and how to help.

02/21/2024

We’re getting back in the saddle! See you wherever you get your podcasts. Please let us know what you’d like us to cover. ***deprevention

12/09/2023

Please consider joining our executive director at St. Andrew's Abbey next fall for a retreat caring for those who have lost a loved one to su***de.

***deloss ***delosssurvivor ***depreventionmonth

Su***de grief is complicated and unlike other grief. People who have lost a loved one to su***de are immediately given membership to a club they wouldn’t wish for anyone. The future of my work includes a lot more research into the proper care for every day grief and in caring for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one to su***de.

In that vein, and picking up where the pandemic paused us, I’m grateful to share that I’ve paired up with my precious friends at St. Andrew’s Abbey for a retreat specifically for those who have lost a loved one to su***de.

If you (or a beloved someone in your life) have lost a loved one to su***de, please consider joining us in Valyermo Sept 9-12 (su***de prevention month) for a few days of healing, community, empathy, and respite. More info in the link below. I’m working on a way to create scholarships for those who desperately need the retreat but are unable to make it happen financially. Let me know if you’re interested in helping to sponsor a precious someone.

Take such good care of you 🧡


https://saintandrewsabbey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/RETREATS-2024-Brochure.pdf

11/14/2023

You are wonderful. You are irreplaceable. You are enough.

05/15/2023

We hear from students of all ages that they hear "go kill yourself" on campus grounds almost daily. It isn't funny. It isn't a joke. It isn't harmless. It's hurtful and it's dangerous - and we don't do it.

Words matter.
People matter.
Life is precious.
Your voice can make a difference. Speak kindness.
***deprevention

05/03/2023

05/02/2023

Join the Prevent Su***de Spokane Coalition on Monday, May 22nd for our first "Let's Talk Su***de" conference at Gonzaga University. Ticket information is in the image below! Our executive director will be sharing on speaking with teens about su***de. We'd love to see you there!

***deprevention ***deawareness ***despokane

Prevent Su***de Spokane Coalition (PSSC) invites you to join them at the Let's Talk Su***de Conference with an internationally known speaker and filmmaker, Kevin Hines, on May 22, 2023 at the John J. Hemmingson Center located at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. Lunch will be provided with your reg...