Keith Jackson

Shasta County resident, Keith Jackson, is a proud father, husband and student. Once a repeat offender, Keith shares how he overcame addiction and homelessness and how the stigma surrounding both got in the way of him seeking help.

Denise Green

Brave Faces Advocate, Denise Green, believes in living life to its fullest. In addition to being a mother, wife, homesteader, and social worker, she manages a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

“What I’ve learned in life is that as soon as you tell people that you have a condition, they expect less of you. Achieving more is how I break stigma.”

David Wharton

Redding resident and community organizer, David Wharton, pushed through many layers of stigma to reach a place of healing in his life. He manages his anxiety and depression with medication, counseling and volunteer service.

Cherish Padro

New York City native and Redding resident Cherish Padro has learned to manage her bipolar diagnosis despite the stigma she faced from family and well intentioned members of her church.”It’s been a challenging but rewarding journey. I’ve learned how to take care of myself and make the choices that are best for me.”

Chante Catt

Chante shares how becoming a new mom flooded her with contradictory emotions – joy, anger and depression – and how she wants women to feel safe to discuss the complex emotions many experience as they become a parent.

Mike Skondin

Brave Face, Mike Skondin, a U.S. Marine Veteran, talks about his experiences transitioning back to civilian life with PTSD after serving in Colombia and doing drug interdiction.

“I was constantly doing things to match the adrenaline level I experienced in combat,” says Mike. This drive attracted him and jobs with significant risk of physical injury, and led to substance abuse and two suicide attempts.

Matthew Sprenger

Matt Sprenger from Anderson shares his story of surviving a suicide attempt as a young teenager and how he is now on the path of recovery. The National Institute for Mental Health reports there are 11 people who survive a suicide attempt for every person who completes a suicide.

Greg Burgin Jr.

Greg Burgin Jr. “I was born in Redding, and my family’s ancestral village is Turtle Bay. My mother is Mexican and Wintu. My father is mixed European blood. It was tough as a kid because I didn’t fit in with the white people, with the Mexicans or with the Indians. I spent my whole life […]

Creanna and Shellisa Moore

Creanna and Shellisa Moore share how depression led to a suicide attempt that deeply affected the family. Their journey to recovery and healing has been one they’ve taken together.

Sam Hewitt

15-year-old high schooler and Redding resident Sam Hewitt shares how the death by suicide of her friend Josh two years ago affected her own mental health as well as her classmates’.

Sam is doing much better today with the help of therapy, treatment and music. She is now dedicated to preventing suicide among other Shasta County youth.