Arms Stretched Wide

Arms Stretched Wide. Help Us Bring Mental Health Support Within Reach.

Our goal: $40,000 to grow our team and expand our reach across the Texas Panhandle.

Unfortunately across the Texas Panhandle, rural homes and communities face unique challenges in accessing mental health services and education. Limited resources, long travel times, and barriers such as fear of judgement and financial burdens can make it difficult for individuals, families, churches, and communities to find the support they need.

Compared with their urban counterparts, rural Americans have a higher rate of depression (1); and suicide rates of people living in rural counties are 64-68% higher than those living in urban areas. (2).

Through mental health awareness, access to resources, and compassionate support, Arms Stretched Wide is committed to helping individuals and communities move toward healthier well-being.

But to reach more people, we need to grow our capacity.

This Panhandle Gives, our goal is to raise $40,000 to help us bring on additional team members who can serve as trainers, expanding our ability to provide mental health education and support throughout the Texas Panhandle.

With your help, we can equip more trainers and volunteers to reach more communities, and bring mental health support closer to home and save lives. 

Give today. Help us extend our impact and touch more lives.

Who We Are

Arms Stretched Wide is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing mental health awareness, access to resources, and compassionate support to achieve healthier well-being.

We recognize the unique challenges rural communities in the Texas Panhandle face when seeking mental health information, education, and resources. We believe everyone deserves access to support, regardless of where they live.

At Arms Stretched Wide, we believe in meeting people where they are. Rather than waiting for individuals and communities to come to us, we take our services directly into rural communities across the Texas Panhandle. We listen, build relationships, and tailor our trainings to address the unique needs, interests, and goals of the individuals and groups we serve.

Our work is rooted in relationships, compassion, and empowerment. By increasing awareness, connecting people with resources, and equipping others with knowledge and tools, we strive to strengthen individuals and communities across the Texas Panhandle.

Our vision is a region where mental health is understood, support is easier to access, and people have the resources and connections they need to pursue healthier well-being.

Why We Need Your Help

The need for mental health awareness and education across the Texas Panhandle is significant, and reaching more rural communities requires people who can bring that knowledge directly to them.

Our $40,000 fundraising goal will help Arms Stretched Wide grow its team by bringing on additional trainers. Expanding our team will increase our capacity to provide education, build awareness, and connect more individuals and communities with mental health resources.

More trainers mean greater capacity to serve. Greater capacity means more opportunities to reach communities across the Panhandle and open doors to brighter futures.

When you support us, you help us invest in the people who make this work possible and expand our ability to serve the region.

What Your Gift Makes Possible

Every contribution brings us closer to our $40,000 goal and helps build the capacity we need to serve more people.

Invest in people: Help support the growth of our team of trainers.

Expand education: Increase our capacity to provide mental health awareness and training.

Reach more communities: Help us extend our work to more individuals and communities throughout the Texas Panhandle.

Strengthen connections: Support our efforts to connect people with resources and encourage compassionate, informed responses to mental health needs.

Together, we can bring mental health support within reach.

Sources: 1 Capriotti T, Pearson T, Dufour L. (2020, February 18). Health Disparities in Rural America: Current Challenges and Future Solutions. Clinical Advisor. Retrieved from https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/topics/practice-management-information-center/health-disparities-in-rural-america-current-challenges-and-future-solutions/

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Disparities in Suicide. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/disparities-in-suicide.html