The Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund

Nathan Carreira, 15, died by suicide in 2018. He was an exceptional ski racer and his favorite place was in VT and on the snow at Stratton Mountain.
[March 12, 2003-March 26, 2018]

The Carreira Family directed donations to the Stratton Community Foundation after Nathan’s passing, escalating the foundation’s efforts to support youth mental health as a fundamental priority in its mission to care for the well-being of children in Vermont.

Mission: The Nathan M. Carreira Endowment Fund supports the mental health and wellness of youth, their families, schools and communities across southern Vermont through innovative programs, critical services, and value-driven collaborations.

Through the endowment, the foundation strives to:

• Broaden and deepen partnerships to bring more advocacy, attention and funding to mental health issues;

• Support Mental Health First-Aid Training for teachers and school administration;

• Provide critical services and education;

• Inspire peer-to-peer mentorship programs to establish meaningful, lasting relationships;

• Empower youth, families, schools and communities in Southern Vermont;

• Fund mental health and substance abuse interventions at schools;

• Execute mental health goodwill activities with clubs and youth leaderships;

• Innovate best-practice and successful programs that have a direct impact on youth, families, schools and community.

Dear Stratton Community and #Shred4Nate Supporters, 

Losing a child to depression and suicide changes absolutely everything in your life. The grief and recovery process is individual and some days are much harder than others. It changes with time, but the ache is always there. By collaborating with the Stratton Community Foundation on Nathan’s endowment we found a path and a purpose that gives us light and brings light to others.

The Stratton Community Foundation works hard to meet the basic needs of children and their families to set them on a path for success.  We help fortify this awareness by hosting events like #Shred4Nate, coordinating training opportunities like Mental Health First Aid, and collaborating on exciting new programs like “Nate’s Corner”. It gives us meaningful opportunities to remember him and help others at the same time. 

Please consider joining us in supporting the overall mission of the Stratton Community Foundation and the focused efforts of the Nathan M. Carreira Endowment for Mental Health.  - Michael & Karen Carreira

The annual #Shred4Nate ski race is in memory of Nathan M. Carreira, started by a core group of friends as a way to empower them through their grief and make a difference in the lives of others who are struggling.

NMC Endowment peer mentorships:

• Littles with truancy issues show improvements in behavior so that they can see their Bigs who stress the importance of going to school.

• Littles appreciate that their Bigs fill a void when separated from siblings. Littles are glad to see their bigs come, and sad to see the visits end.

• High School Bigs have complete online trainings, an in person orientation and the opportunity to attend monthly Bigs Club meetings. An average of 30 Bigs attend these meeting. Part of the club meeting is always dedicated to a skill to be a successful mentor. Some topics we have covered include navigating peer pressure, active listening, mandated reporting, time management and boundary setting.

• The best part of a peer to peer mentoring program is watching both the Littles and Bigs learn and grow together. Bigs gain self-esteem and practice leadership skills, and Littles have someone they can depend on and look to for guidance.

• One of the most frequent impacts that we hear from the littles is their Big is something they can depend on to show up for them, something they don't get at home.  

• Rising junior Bigs build strong leadership qualities, serve as role models from a ‘place of understanding’ to encourage academic success and provide emotional connection. Many mentors wish they would’ve had a mentor to get through the difficulty of middle-school years; for those that have had mentors refer to them as their life-preservers in the midst of depression and self-loathing. Past mentors remain in touch with their mentees and have leveraged the position for college acceptance and scholarships.

• For mentees who struggle to relate to their peers, having a mentor provides a sense of hope, and a level of security and consistency missing in their lives. Conditions among these kids sometimes include stays in a mental hospital, high-anxiety, self-harm, abandonment, victims of bullying, struggle with gender identity, and lack positive role models to encourage and learn the values of self-acceptance and education. Mentees have shared how their mentors helped them to come out of their shells, prove the ‘haters’ wrong, become involved, thrive, and excel in school.

• The Success Program also benefits through the validation and buy-in by students into the program and school itself, with heightened engagement and improved program communication. With limited staff, Success Mentorship is an extension of leadership, allowing it to operate leanly without jeopardizing its integrity, and possibly improving it.