Today, we wanted to introduce you to a magnificent woman who puts her passion and experience towards contributing a great deal of positivity to a very important local organization.

Meet Molly Fiore. Molly is the Program Director at Speak Up Reach Out – located right here in Eagle, Colorado.

MOLLY’S JOURNEY

Molly has struggled with depression since the age of 12. At the time, she didn’t actually know what depression was, but she did know that talking about her feelings of sadness wasn’t an option.

So, from the age of 12 to 35, she struggled with depression each and every day of her life. She felt alone, lost and like she had nowhere to turn.

At 35, she officially reached a suicidal crisis. She didn’t trust herself to be alone, as she worried she’d take her own life.

At this point, she knew she needed immediate help. But, she didn’t know where to go. She didn’t want to go to the ER because at the time she worked in the hospital and was fearful co-workers might see her.

She decided to go to an urgent care facility, which wasn’t a very productive experience. They had no idea how to deal with Molly’s situation and walked her into an equipment room and told her she was being disruptive.

She knew from that moment on that people in similar situations deserved more from a mental health perspective.

MOLLY’S PATH TO SPEAK UP REACH OUT

Molly realized that she didn’t ever want to see anyone go through what she had. She didn’t want anyone to feel that scared, confused, alone or like there was nowhere to turn.  In 2009, she joined Speak Up Reach Out.

In her current role, she works to educate the community about suicide prevention and develops events and trainings in the community to help raise awareness around this very important topic.

The organization’s mission to prevent suicide In Eagle County by providing education, training, and HOPE! And, this is very important, especially now. Here are some alarming statistics.  

• Last year’s suicide numbers for Eagle County were highest in recorded history
• In Colorado, suicide accounted for the second leading cause of death for ages 15-44

So, this organization is definitely one that our community needs and should support!

Molly shared with us that many who struggle with suicidal thoughts CAN be helped. They just need the right tools. They need to feel empowered to speak and know their voice will be heard with no judgment. In addition, the community can play a very critical role.

“Awareness is a huge part of preventing suicide. Knowing how you to identify someone who may be in crisis and having the right tools to help them can literally save a life,” shared Molly.

A recent study of junior high and high schoolers showed that ⅓ showed signs of depression! So, it’s clear that everyone is being affected by this.

“The challenge is there’s a lot of misconceptions about suicide. Many people think it’s a choice or something you can just snap out of, but that’s very far from the truth. Most people can find peace with depression, but they need access to tools, resources and humans who can help support that,” explained Molly.

That’s where as a community, we can help!

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

We asked Molly to share a few ways that WE can help support the efforts of Speak Up Reach Out.

Here’s what she had to say….

1. Attend a QPR training. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer. It’s a one-hour training that teaches warning signs and how to link someone to help. Think of it as a CPR (but probably something you’ll use more!). Speak Up Reach Out offers this classes and they can also be found here if you’re interested in taking one online.
2. Write down and share the Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800- 273-8255.
3. Donate and/or volunteer! You can find more information here: https://www.speakupreachout.org/give-back

Molly, we wanted to sincerely thank you for sharing her story with us! Your work is not only important to this cause as a whole, but also to our VERY own community.

Please help support this wonderful organization in whatever way you can!

For more information about Speak Up Reach out, visit their website at https://www.speakupreachout.org/ and stay updated by connecting with them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SpeakUpReachOutEagleCounty/.

Today, we’re excited to share with you a really great story about a man who shares his passion and positively affects both young and old in our community!  

Meet Doug Mills.

Doug’s journey to Vail Valley is an interesting one. He didn’t come out from Chicago to ski or mountain bike. He initially came to Vail Valley because he was in need of a hip replacement, and the best doctors for his specific needs were located here.

It’s no surprise that while in rehab for his surgery, Doug fell in love with the area! Someone told him that he should stay and create a business around something he loved, and that’s exactly what he did.

Raised playing musical instruments and having a sincere passion for music, Doug started teaching music lessons to children. With a focus on the string family, his business grew quickly through the referrals of happy clients.

Doug loves the fact that he is able to share his love for music with kids, who too often spend hours in front of technology, are aren’t exposed to interacting with others or practicing a hobby that isn’t a video game.

And, he clearly has a gift. He’s had the opportunity to work with children who’ve been diagnosed with Autism, ADD and ADHD, and instead of focusing on these labels, he focuses on helping the child really tap into their creative side and their unique personalities.

And, often that always involve reading music or even playing an instrument for the first half of the lesson. Doug explained a bit more..

“Sometimes my students just aren’t in the musical mindset when it’s time for our lesson. Instead of forces them to play, we might go in the front yard and juggle or do something that makes them feel good physically and mentally. We might do this for half the lesson time, and for the remaining half of the lesson, we have a really good time with the instrument.”

In addition to working with children, Doug also gives back though working with elderly people. He spends time playing songs that these folks remember from their youth in hopes of helping onsets of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

When Doug isn’t teaching, he plays himself. You can find him at Vail Valley Calvary Chapel the first Sunday every month playing with an awesome string band. He also is in the early stages of establishing a band that will cover The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica, so keep an eye out for that.

If you have a child you’d like to get involved in music with an amazing teacher, definitely check out Doug’s Facebook page to learn more. Many of this clients take advantage of his family rates so that more than one child can experience the joys of learning to play a musical instrument.

We wanted to thank Doug for all of the positively that he contributes to members of our community!