The Jed Foundation

Thank you to everyone who attended #VBGIVESBACK Day on Tuesday! All day long, 10% of sales across our stores worldwide benefitted The Jed Foundation, which protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults in the U.S. To mark the day, our Bal Harbour and Madison locations also hosted special panels to discuss the importance of mental health. Below are some excerpts from our inspiring speakers…

P.S. Missed #VBGIVESBACK Day? You can still shop for the cause. From now to the end of March, we will donate a portion of proceeds from every single veronicabeard.com order to JED.

About JED:

“We lost our son Jed to suicide and founded the foundation to understand what young people were facing and to help build their emotional strength. The work we do is around systemic change—working with schools and through online campaigns—to change the culture so we can address all of the policies, programs and systems related to mental health. Because if someone young is suffering, this is a temporary problem that can be addressed; it should never end in a permanent solution like suicide.” — Donna Satow, JED Co-Founder

Read more about JED's backstory in our interview with Satow here.

How Parents Can Help:

“Start the conversation—and listen. As parents, we want to run in and fix things, but it’s important to stop and listen.” — Adee Shepen, JED Chief Development Officer

“Show them the ways you cope with your own difficult emotions. And don’t be afraid to talk about suicide. It’s a myth that this will give someone ideas. Research shows that, instead, it provides a sense of relief and increases the likelihood that someone will seek help.” — Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, JED Chief Medical Officer

"It can be hard, but start the mental health conversation with your kids at a young age. You may think they’re shielded but, with social media, that doesn’t mean they are. Also, try to understand where they’re coming from and educate yourself by talking to someone or finding a resource from JED. Because if you don’t know what you’re doing, then you don’t know where to start.” — Dorothea Zarcadoolas, high school senior & JED ambassador

Read about Zarcadoolas’ own mental health journey here.

On Social Media & Mental Health:

“I’d be lying if I said social media didn’t negatively impact my eating-disorder recovery. But it’s hard to say that social media is bad or toxic because there are benefits. I follow accounts that bring me joy instead of breaking me down. I block the others.” — Dorothea Zarcadoolas

“As a mother, I find it very stressful. How much do you take away or reward? It’s a battle every day. The best thing that I can do is keep her busy—whether it’s four hours of soccer or a night at the theater—and make sure her interests go beyond social media. Encourage extracurricular activities in your kids.” — Alissa Rabin, mental health & education activist

“No one is immune to the comparison loop; however, I think that it is essential to give ourselves grace. Social media algorithms are robots. We are human.” — Gigi Robinson, digital creator

For more from Robinson, stay tuned for a Q&A with the mental health advocate later this month.

If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental health crisis, visit The Jed Foundation’s Mental Health Resource Center for essential information about common emotional health issues. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or engaging in suicidal behavior, seek help immediately by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text “START” to 741-741.

From now to the end of March, we will donate a portion of proceeds from every single veronicabeard.com order to the The Jed Foundation, which protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults in the U.S. Learn more about the partnership here. #VBGIVESBACK