Saving the World One Life at a Time
Jun 22nd, 2012 | Events, benefit, Community Outreach Program, concert, Jordan Bloch, Los Angeles, outreach, suicide, suicide prevention, summer, Summer Lovin', teens, volunteer
Find out more about this year’s Summer Lovin’ benefit concert, where to buy tickets, or how to get involved as a sponsor
Source: Catalyst
By Louise Cobb
“When something happens in your life that triggers a lot of emotion, it empowers you to do things you probably never thought you could do”
Elaine Leader, PhD
When Jordan Bloch was 13, his close friend and role model, 17-year-old Matthew Silverman, committed suicide. “Matthew was like a brother to me,” Jordan says. “I wore his hand-me-downs, we went to Dodgers games together, and I wanted to be just like him when I got to high school. He was a math superstar, a science brain, captain of the cross country team, and an overall good person,” Jordan says.
The tragedy affected Jordan profoundly. At the funeral, he made a vow to himself and to Matthew’s family: He would lead a fight against suicide. “I needed to do something for Matt. Suicide is a drastic and permanent action, and I hated the pain it caused everyone.”
Once you’ve met this fast-talking, inquisitive teen – now 17 years old himself – it comes as no surprise that Jordan is still keeping his promise. He admits it was a bold goal for a seventh-grader to set. He faced significant hurdles along the way – some of the biggest deep within himself.
Jordan found the perfect fit for his mission: TEEN LINE, a confidential helpline for teenage callers run by specially trained teenagers at Cedars-Sinai. TEEN LINE volunteers answer calls, respond to message boards, and even text messages from adolescents seeking help with relationships, drug abuse, physical abuse, eating disorders, bullying, and thoughts of suicide.
