The Alex Project
Fund Purpose
The Alex Project promotes text messaging access to lifesaving crisis center services. The Alex Project will use the funds in two ways: 1. Producing and distributing Alex Project cards, posters, and other materials to raise awareness of existing crisis text lines. 2. Financially supporting the pioneering work of crisis centers with text messaging counselors. Youth will text when they won’t talk. Texting is familiar, discreet, and available.
More Info
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 24. We lost Alex Strauss to suicide on October 11, 2010. He was only 17 years old. Alex was a high achieving senior at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California. He had a loving family and friends. Alex always had a silly joke or pun ready. He volunteered as a math tutor, was working on electric car designs with his dad and had plans to travel on vacation to Alaska with his family after high school graduation. Then, he would be off to college. All that disintegrated on October 11, 2010. Before he died, Alex tried multiple times to text for help using his cell phone. Like many young people today, Alex was more comfortable communicating privately via texts than talking on the phone. Unfortunately, Alex’s texts for help were not immediately answered because he sent them at night when their recipients were asleep. Had he known there was a crisis center open 24/7 that would have welcomed a text from him, Alex might still be alive today. Alex’s story is not unique. Spreading the word about texting access to crisis center services will save young lives. Youth will text when they won’t talk. Texting is familiar, discreet and available.