Cavs Joined for Hope with Ainsley Hinton
First CJH meeting of the school year.
September 26, 2022
In The Woodlands, there were 71 deaths or attempted suicides reported during the year 2020 mostly because of the mandatory quarantine. However, in 2018, there were 115 reported deaths or attempted suicides, all according to the Houston Chronicle. Cavs Joined for Hope is a club aimed at being a part of the solution, particularly for the students of College Park High School.
“Honestly, CJH to me is part of the reason I’m here today,” Ainsley Hinton, senior and vice president of the Cavs Joined for Hope, said.
Hinton joined the club in an effort to help her own struggles, and she gives the club credit for helping her significantly take strides in bettering her mental state. She hopes that the club will do the same for her peers.
“Mental illness isn’t selective, so that’s been our biggest goal, is increasing diversity within the club,” Hinton said.
The first meeting of the school year was one of the largest turnouts for the club ever. Students of all different kinds of groups and interests showed up to be a part of the movement.
“Suicide Prevention Week was really our time to put the message out there; when there’s purple everywhere, all of these signs, people want to know, what is that?” Hinton said.
The purple Stop Suicide Pledge Wall, the most interactive activity CJH did with students, happened during Suicide Prevention Week. Students took the pledge to acknowledge the issue directly and show their support by putting their purple handprints on the giant piece of paper. This is one of the many projects that CJH has undertaken to spread awareness among the students.
“We’re still planning; one thing that I’m most excited about this year is the new shirts that we have, the ones we sold during Suicide Prevention Week,” Hinton said. “We’re going to open up another sale for them in the spring.”
The shirts for the club are a big part of pushing the message of spreading kindness, and a tangible symbol of unity of students focused on eradicating the issue of teen suicide. By having so many people wear the shirts, people are more inclined to purchase them, continuing the growth of the club and the mission.
“Our meetings are the first Wednesday of every month, and they’re now going to be in the College and Career Center,” Hinton said.
By following the Instagram account, @cavsjoined4hope, followers can see reminders for club meetings and other events in the area dedicated to the purpose of ending suicide.
“That’s what CJH is all about: there is a lot of darkness, but the light eventually will show,” Hinton said.
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