Give Where You Live
Your donation, along with a $10,000 incentive grant, goes a long way to ensure that we can continue to provide the community with free suicide prevention and mental wellness programs. Last year alone we trained 2,400 local students and nearly 1,000 adults!
Ways to Donate To donate by credit card click HERE or to donate by check: fill out an official donation form by clicking HERE and mail it in along with your check made out to Whitefish Community Foundation P.O. Box 1060 Whitefish, MT 59937 A unique/unduplicated donor is defined as a household or business that has not previously given in this year’s Challenge. Family members and domestic partners residing at the same household who give separately are considered one donor.
Join our free LEARN program to find out. "Many of us have confided in others during dark times, and vice versa. But it can feel awkward, evening frightening, not knowing what to do when a loved one or peer shows signs of suicide."
Our mission here at NCF is to, support, educate, and empower our communities to promote mental wellness and reduce suicide. One way we carry out this mission is to provide free community trainings. Join us for our next class on April 9th at the Bigfork Arts & Cultural Center. This 90 minute LEARN training, developed by Forefront Suicide Prevention from the University of Washington, teaches people the 5-step process to talk with people about how they are doing, if they are considering suicide, and how to take the next steps to try and keep them safe.  Executive produced by Olympic ski racing legend and Montana resident Bode Miller and Emmy Award-winning impact sports filmmaker Brett Rapkin (HBO’s “The Weight of Gold”), THE PARADISE PARADOX is a long overdue look at the mental health crisis that has been sweeping America’s mountain towns and the innovative solutions being developed in response. The film is told through the experiences of not only the local heroes who are confronting these challenges but also renowned figures like Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin. From the ski patroller at Mammoth Mountain to the lift operator in Deer Valley, to the young snowboarder trying to improve their community, to affluent residents throughout the region, THE PARADISE PARADOX sheds light on the root causes of the mental health challenges in the snow sports industry and in America’s mountain towns, including isolation, lack of resources, substance abuse, and stigma. Featuring stories from a diverse group of hard-working, inspiring families, individuals, and community members, there is also a focus on creative and scalable solutions local stakeholders, such as Alterra Mountain Company and Vail Health Behavioral Health, are creating in response. This film is designed to reduce stigma and give audiences the opportunity to connect and identify with each character’s struggles and triumphs. Woven throughout will be a focus on hopeful, local solutions that communities can consider and replicate in order to improve mental health outcomes for all. Content Advisory: THE PARADISE PARADOX includes depictions of mental health challenges, substance abuse, and discussions of suicide. These themes may be distressing or upsetting for some viewers. We advise viewer discretion and recommend having a support system in place to discuss and process any emotions or reactions that may arise while watching the film. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, severe negative thoughts, thoughts of suicide, or is in crisis, please seek professional help or reach out to a trusted individual for support. Your health and well-being is important. Thursday, March 14th at 6pm Whitefish Performing Arts Center Panel discussion immediately afterwards. Panelists include: Kacy Howard from NCF, Dr. Doug Muir from Logan Health Behavioral Health, Sarah Gehl from FCCHD, and Nick Polumbus from Whitefish Mountain Resort. FREE and open to the public. Recommended for mature audiences.
 25th Annual Nate Chute - Banked Slalom & Boardercross - March 16 & 17
Join the 25th-anniversary celebration of The Nate Chute Banked Slalom and Boardercross – the second-longest-running banked slalom event in the United States and the third longest in North America. This event serves as a tribute to Nate, a reminder of the mental health challenges we all encounter, and a source of inspiration for promoting mental well-being. More than just a competition, this event provides a platform to raise awareness and generate funds for the Nate Chute Foundation. We actively support education through free school, workplace, and community trainings, as well as offer financial assistance for professional therapy. This event is an inspiring competition with a deeply meaningful purpose. This year our fundraising goal is $50,000. Any team member who raises $500 or more through this platform will have their entry fee reimbursed by the Nate Chute Foundation. Want to help fundraise? Set up your own page here. Check out last year's recap: Nate Chute 2023 On Thursday, NCF hosted 50 individuals representing various local responder organizations to discuss the implementation of resilience-building systems. The aim is to prevent burnout and long-term traumatic stress among teams, particularly EMTs, paramedics, and other first responders who may experience posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms due to repeated exposure to human pain and suffering.
NCF seeks to support local responders and outdoor professionals by providing tools, training, and guidance through the Responder Alliance program based in Boulder, Colorado. These training sessions are designed to contribute to the development of vital and healthy workplace cultures. Among the attendees were representatives from Whitefish Mountain Ski Patrol, Flathead Avalanche Center, Flathead Nordic Backcountry Patrol, Whitefish and Kalispell Police and Fire Departments, Glacier National Park, Flathead National Forest, and Kalispell School District. We express our gratitude to the National Forest Service, Responder Alliance, and MacKenzie River Pizza for their collaboration in facilitating this important conversation in the valley.  The festive lights are twinkling, and the scent of holiday spices fills the air. As we dive headfirst into the holiday season, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of joy and celebration. However, amidst the merriment, it's crucial to take a moment to reflect on the importance of managing stress and mental health during this time of year.
Research consistently shows a spike in stress levels during the holiday season, with factors such as financial strain, family dynamics, and the pressure to create picture-perfect celebrations contributing to the increase. This stress can take a toll on both physical and mental health, leading to fatigue, anxiety, and even depression. By addressing the importance of managing our stress and mental health during the holidays, we contribute to the well-being of our entire community. During this season, our holiday ads (like the one above) were made possible by Flathead Electric Cooperative's "Roundup for Safety." We extend our heartfelt gratitude to this program and those who support it, acknowledging that it goes beyond powering our homes; it empowers the strength of our community. Wishing you moments of joy and peace, however big or small, during this holiday. - The NCF team  3.5 billion searches are completed on Google each day.
What if even a fraction of those searches could help ensure that people who are experiencing distress or thoughts of suicide are offered the help that they need, when they need it? The University of Washington is recruiting for a federally funded study to collect data from 1,000 volunteers age 18 or older with suicidal thoughts to discover if information from Google or YouTube searches could be used to detect early signs of distress or suicidal thinking. How it works: "After enrolling in the study, we will show you how to securely donate your Google search and YouTube data to the research team. You will speak with a member of our study team at the beginning of the study to discuss how you are feeling and your own experience with thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Over the next 12 months, we will reach out periodically to check in with how you are doing by sending you surveys to complete. As you fill out these surveys, you will earn Amazon gift codes. You can participate from anywhere! The study is fully remote – you just need the internet and a personal Gmail account to participate." Interested in helping? https://www.searchlightstudy.org/  THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
Tamarack Grief Resource Center is partnering with Nate Chute Foundation to offer this 6-week Grief After Suicide Loss Support Group for adults who have experienced the death of a loved one or family member by suicide. Together we'll explore and hold space for the unique considerations experienced by these survivors. REGISTER to gather with understanding others this autumn: https://tamarackgriefresourcecenter.app.neoncrm.com/ |
aboutThe Nate Chute Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
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August 2024
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NATE CHUTE FOUNDATION
PO BOX 245 • WHITEFISH, MT 59937
PO BOX 245 • WHITEFISH, MT 59937
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