05/08/2026
Angela Whitten, Executive Director, Co-Founder Stay; For Life, and Trent's Mom
“Stay; For Life is a Maine-based non-profit organization that advocates for men's mental health and su***de prevention. I founded this program by experiencing, first hand, the loss of my own son, Trent, to su***de at only 18 years old in 2022. Our mission is to prevent this horrible tragedy from happening to anyone else. By spreading awareness and creating programs that offer peer help for men that are struggling, we are making a huge difference in making it easier for men, male servicemembers, and veterans to come forward and help themselves and others. Stay; For Life offers several types of support and outreach by bringing the message that 'It is okay to not be okay'. Two years ago, we developed and piloted Stay; Man to Man Peer Support Group in Southern Maine. Since its induction, the peer-led groups now operate at two locations. As Stay; Man to Man Peer Support Groups (M2M) continue to grow throughout Maine, a goal is to have veteran-led groups as well. Stay; Man to Man Peer Support Group offers connection, community, and brotherhood. This is a vital combination that is a proven formula to help them find their way back from their trauma. Taking a big step to widen our ability to reach as many men as possible is a very exciting thing; for us and those in need of what we offer them at Stay; For Life.”
Pam Payeur, Executive Director, Wounded Heroes Program of Maine, and Mike's Mom
“Since 1949, May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. Its purpose is to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide support for mental health conditions. Wounded Heroes Program of Maine has proudly served our veterans with service connected injuries for 18 years, started after my son, Mike, was seriously injured surviving 11 IED blasts as a tanker for the U.S. Army. Returning from the battlefield is disorienting and our injured servicemembers need help acclimating back to the civilian world after service - especially those with PTSD. Wounded Heroes Program works hard to keep them afloat with typical day to day life's expenses until we know they can confidently go forward on their own. A huge component to helping them get back on their feet is focusing on their mental health. Without proper help for PTSD, they will continue to struggle - financially and mentally. Our program has many resources to help them with life's typical needs, but we are not experts in the field of mental health. Systems established for them can be uncomfortably clinical, leaving them less likely to open up. Stigma associated with mental health for military personnel, especially for men, can prevent them from reaching out for help. Taking a big step to broaden our program's reach is a very exciting thing; for us and for our servicemembers. When Wounded Heroes Program began, the veteran su***de rate was 18 servicemembers per day. A few years ago, it rose to over 22. We now see an uptick in active military su***des as well as veterans. This has to stop.”
Wounded Heroes Program of Maine and Stay; For Life are proud to announce our partnership in bringing much needed resources to men and male servicemembers. Both organizations can add valuable layers to work already being done within each program, enhancing crucial services to fill a huge need for many here in Maine.
You will see us actively collaborating with each other's events, social media, and within each's own current (and expanding) network. Both programs will continue independently with what we each specialize in, serving the communities we work with, while adding to the specific components we offer together. Power in numbers is a good thing. When our struggling loved ones lose hope, we lose them. Working together can save more lives than separately.
"Let's do some good!"
