Spokane teen takes a stand against suicide - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Spokane teen takes a stand against suicide

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SPOKANE, Wash. -

Johnathan Benecchi has felt a lot of sadness in his 17 years of life.  he's lost friends and family to suicide.

"It clicked in my brain where I was like 'I have to do something. This has to stop.' Johnathan said.

So he got together with other students from Lewis and Clark High School to create Tiger Wellness. "If we make our community a better place where in schools kids can feel safe to come here and talk to somebody without getting judged then we will have a better outcome on how kids feel," he said.

He also joined an organization called Lil Guardians of the Children. The group intervenes when a child is getting bullied. They protect them, listen to them and offer advice.

"Kids can know that we are a safe place to go to. We are there to step in if a kid is getting bullied and just make sure they feel safe in the school."

 Being a kid himself Jonathan knows kids don't share with their parents the way a parent would want them to.

"Parents just need to look at the whole picture and say something is wrong with my kid. Either I'm going to help them or something bad is going to happen to them," Johnathan explained.

Johnathan wants to create a school environment where everyone feels safe. He's seen enough, and now he wants to see change.

"Everybody should feel loved and everybody should feel wanted."

You can find out more about the Lil Guardians of the Children on their Facebook page here.

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