NATHAN CARRIERA FUND
The Nathan M. Michael Carreira Fund is a Stratton Foundation endowment established in loving memory of Nathan, age 15, of Ludlow Massachusetts, and in honor of Nathan’s parents, Michael and Karen Carreira. The Carreira Family dedicated donations to the Stratton Foundation after Nathan’s passing. Skiing was Nathan’s true passion, and he quickly developed a love for racing, spending every weekend at Stratton Mountain. Proceeds are dedicated to programs and critical services to support teen mental health and suicide prevention. [Nathan, born March 12, 2003-March 26, 2018]
IT ALL STARTED WHEN THE ‘FRIENDS OF NATHAN’
..wanted to bring awareness to teen mental health and create a legacy for Nathan Carreira. Nathan had a great love for skiing, spending every weekend with his family at Stratton. The compassion for Nathan after his passing at the young age of 15 years old, generated an outpouring of donations, establishing the Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund of the Stratton Foundation. Today, the endowment supports critical programs, services, education and leadership training among teens, parents, and schools across southern Vermont. [Nathan, March 12, 2003-March 26, 2018]
THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS:
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a wide variety of social and emotional challenges that extend beyond isolation and poverty, and which promise to disrupt education well after the pandemic has ended. The world is experiencing a mental health crisis with an ‘unrelenting demand’ for child services. Even very young children are expressing feelings of anxiety and depression, and about 1 in 4 teens seeking mental health services are experiencing suicidal thoughts. In the United States, emergency room visits for suicide attempts rose 51 percent for adolescent girls in early 2021 and remains high among boys.
THROUGH LEADERSHIP AND FUNDING
..the Stratton Foundation orchestrates programs with a strong commitment to mental health and academic success by establishing partnerships with credited organizations, such as the Vermont Center for Health and Learning and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Vermont. Our goal is to build resilience and coping skills, positive healthy behaviors, meaningful peer and family relationships, school based suicide prevention policies, and sense of community through the Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund.