UNION, Ky. — Angelena Boone got the email in the middle of the night.
"Gutted," Boone said. "Heartbroken."
She couldn’t sleep. Because it meant the mental health organization she works for would never be the same.
The email came from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal agency that leads public health initiatives. It said the local organization's grant — $375,000 for five years — was terminated.
Effective immediately.
WATCH: Despite funding concerns, group brings messages of hope to local schools
I first met Boone in a thunderstorm.
She was walking door to door in the rain, passing out resources with a woman whose 13-year-old daughter died by suicide. It was one of at least four youth suicides in Boone County over a short period of time.
Boone works for the Boone County Alliance, a group that provides mental health and substance abuse resources to young people across the Tri-State. It’s a group that started more than a decade ago after a local student died from alcohol poisoning.
“I personally have been touched by suicide, by mental health concerns. I’ve lost family to overdose. I’ve lost family to substance use," Boone said. “I just can’t imagine a world without prevention work."
And she doesn’t have to — at least for now.
Because almost as soon as those notices from the federal government went out — slashing about $2 billion in grant funding across the country — they were rescinded. New emails told organizations to “disregard the previous termination notice.”
“We’ve gotten absolutely no reason for it,” Boone said. “We’re worried it could happen again.”
The initial email didn’t say exactly why the grant was being terminated, but indicated the money would be better spent elsewhere. I wanted to see exactly what this group does, so I went with Boone to Randall K. Cooper High School.
She helped students record short video clips with positive messages.
“You can say you’re loved. You can say you’re enough. You’re beautiful,” Boone said. “Whatever you want.”
Ben Brown is the youth service coordinator at the school.
“Their life matters. What they do matters. All the things they’re involved in matters,” Brown said. “And I think once kids — and adults, too — once they know that somebody cares, it makes a huge difference.”
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Brown told Boone his son plays football in college and is dealing with the recent death of a player. He told her he was happy she was here.
Then, he recorded his own message.
"Know that you are not alone," Brown said. "We all love you."
If you're in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 — or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
