2 hours ago
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and School hosted a community dinner and discussion focused on the mental health of adolescents and teens in the area.
The event covered topics including grief, suicide prevention, and tips for keeping children safe. Organizers said the goal was to normalize conversations around mental health for young people.
‘No fear, no judgment’
Fr. Bryan Owen, Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and School, said the event aligned with the institution’s mission.
“We just thought, you know, given our mission as a church and school, this should be something we can talk about and address in a way that there’s no fear, there’s no judgment,” Owen said.
Sarah Bolt, the church’s family ministry coordinator, said it is important for young people to know they are heard and have someone available to talk to.
“With all the pressure that kids are under with school, sports, everything — we want to hear from them, and we want them to speak up when they need help,” Bolt said.
Community members weigh in
Attendee Harrison Breaux said the discussion was relevant to his peer group.
“This is around the age that a lot of people tend to have a lot of mental health troubles,” Breaux said.
Breaux said he hopes to carry what he learned into conversations with his friends.
“It’s important for me, not only to like take notes maybe for something if like for myself ever arises, but like for my friends so that I can know how to deal with these situations if they disclose this information to me and how to like help them get them in a better place,” Breaux said.
Organizers said the dinner was open to community members regardless of church affiliation.
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