FuseDSM Monthly Luncheon - "Changing and Saving Lives in the Workplace and Schools"
The FuseDSM Monthly Luncheon will typically be held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Each month the Chamber invites a dynamic speaker to provide timely information affecting our community, insight on issues concerning the community, or inspirational stories which resonate within the community.
There is networking time prior to the start of the program and lunch being served. This is the monthly event you do not want to miss to maintain those important relationships with your fellow members.
"Changing and Saving Lives in the Workplace & Schools"
In the 2021, Iowa Youth Survey 25% of high school juniors indicated they had seriously contemplated suicide in the previous year. In January, Des Moines Schools lost three students to suicide, the youngest a 5th grader. Farmer suicides have risen 40% and are double of the general population. Mental health has been an issue long before Covid but we have seen it exacerbated with the pandemic. It is a highly stigmatized topic but that doesn't make it go away. Please Pass the Love works with schools, youth, educators, community, parents & caregivers to help educate and empower some critical action steps that can truly change and save lives including embedding authentic wellness and self-care into your system. The first step starts with you.
Gabby Guerra Ceron of Please Pass the Love
Gabby Guerra Ceron is a proud immigrant from Santa Ana, El Salvador. Gabby grew up in Des Moines and is a proud graduate of the public school system. Gabby is a University of Iowa alumni, and she graduated with a Bachelor's in Ethics and Public policy, a minor in Latinx Studies, and a certificate in Nonprofit Management. Her mission is to improve school culture and youth mental wellness by developing and elevating youth voices. She is responsible for the Youth Advisory Board, Stomp out Stigma mental health clubs, youth workshops, and other youth programs. She was awarded the 2021 Passport for Prosperity honor from the Iowa International Center and the 2021 Governor's Volunteer Award. Currently, she is a HealthConnect Fellow with Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, and her focus is developing a youth leadership academy to support BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and immigrant mental health advocates. She is passionate about finding ways to create a more inclusive and supportive community in Des Moines and Iowa for people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, immigrants and amplifying youth voices.
