Josh’s Bench will be installed on the Chester County campus through the generosity of
Saint John Vianney Center’s Suicide Prevention and Awareness Collaboration.
Bishop Shanahan High School (BSHS) in Downingtown (Chester County) will unveil a bench that has been installed as part of the Josh’s Benches for Awareness Corporation initiative. Over 100 benches have been donated throughout the country as part of this program for mental health awareness. This bench is the first to be installed in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
This opportunity is made possible through the generosity of Saint John Vianney Center’s (SJVC) Suicide Prevention and Awareness Collaboration. The bench unveiling will take place at the athletic entrance on BSHS’ campus.
Thursday, May 23, 2024
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Bishop Shanahan High School
220 Woodbine Road
Downingtown, PA 19335
Reverend John E. Donia, President of Bishop Shanahan High School; Robert Moran, Ed.D., Principal of Bishop Shanahan High School; and David Shellenberger, RN, BSN, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint John Vianney Center will be present and offer brief remarks. In addition, students from the school’s Mental Health Awareness Club will be present.
BSHS has a robust and growing teen mental health program. It includes a full-time mental health coordinator, faculty and staff trained in teen mental health first aid, a student-run mental health club, and public speaker events. For additional information about BSHS’ mental health program, please visit shanahan.org/studentlife/guidanceoffice.
SJVC’s Suicide Prevention and Awareness Collaboration works to end the stigma and improve community understanding surrounding mental illness and suicide prevention through outreach, education, and advocacy.
Josh’s Benches for Awareness Corporation is a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness on mental health issues and promoting suitable resources to remove the negative stigma surrounding the receiving of help. The benches built and installed serve as physical symbols that represent the movement surrounding mental health and are also safe places for students to refer to for help. The benches are bright yellow so that whoever notices them and reads them will know that they are not alone and that there is help out there for them.
Background information on Bishop Shanahan High School
Bishop Shanahan High School (BSHS) is a Catholic co-educational secondary school of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. BSHS is committed to sustaining excellence, providing a strong spiritual life, along with challenging academic and rich extracurricular programs. The school provides a strong witness to Christian values and commitment to academic rigor and integrity to prepare all students to be critical thinkers and moral stewards in a rapidly evolving global environment.
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Editor’s Note:
For information about Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit www.aopcatholicschools.org/. For more information about Bishop Shanahan High School, please visit www.shanahan.org/.
Contact:Meredith Wilson
Media and Events Specialist
215-587-3747