Christine Jackson was in “complete shock” when she found out the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce had named her “Citizen of the Year.”
The founder and executive director of Hope for Hallie in Media will be honored Nov. 20 by the Chamber during its EPIC Awards reception at The Drexelbrook Event Center in Drexel Hill.
“Christine has devoted her leadership, passion, and compassion to the mission of Hope For Hallie, inspiring young people and families to support one another and to break down the stigma surrounding mental health,” said Chris Wilson, Board Member for Hope For Hallie. “Her work has touched countless lives in Delaware County and beyond. This recognition is both well-deserved and a reflection of her tireless commitment to our community.”
Hope for Hallie works at the grassroots level, reaching teenagers wherever they are. It has become a voice for mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
The nonprofit provides programs, events, and educational initiatives, giving young people hope, healing, and connection. You can usually find their table at educational and community events.
Teens have responded to the offer of help. The group conducted a mental health summit on a Sunday afternoon in April for high schoolers. More than 50 teenagers turned out.
“We know young people are super busy. But they took time out of their weekend to support their mental health,” Jackson said.
Hope for Hallie was founded in memory of Hallie Christine Jackson in 2020. Hallie, a 16-year-old student at Strath Haven High School, was full of life and energy, loving sports, her friends, and her family, yet lost her life to suicide.
In the days and months that followed her death, teens reached out to Jackson and her husband to share their own personal struggles, talking about daily stress, depression, and anxiety.
“And it was then that we realized that the loss of Hallie was opening or starting a conversation,” Jackson said. “And we decided that conversation needed to continue.”
Hope for Hallie provides a safe place and a sympathetic ear to struggling teens, who cope with daily stress and pressures to succeed, to get good grades, excel in sports, and have good relationships with family and peers.
“We want people to know that they’re not alone, that they’re not the only one feeling this way. And if they feel that they need to speak to a mental health provider, we can help connect them.”
Hope for Hallie offers therapy scholarships to cover eight sessions with a mental health provider.
“Just getting in the door like that, just having those initial sessions can make all the difference too,” as they learn tools to navigate their feelings, Jackson said.
The nonprofit has reached over one million people, funded 2,178 therapy sessions, and been involved in at least 1,250 conversations on mental health in its five years.
“I think young people are willing to share. I think they just need the space or the avenue to make that happen,” Jackson said.
Find out more about Hope for Hallie and how you can help.
