Every year, Tracey and Brian Nunn break the silence around adolescent bullying by converting Curbside Coffee into a blue-themed Do It For Dolly Day tribute, in honour of 14-year-old Dolly Everett, who lost her life to suicide in 2018.
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Yesterday's fundraiser cast a spotlight on the cause, selling T-shirts to spark conversation.
"It's about getting the message out there, with balloons, hats, bracelets, everything ... to remind people about bullying in adolescence," Ms Nunn said.
Dialogue begins in every-day venues like the Sebastopol corner-shop, proving anybody can raise awareness to help navigate issues of mental health among young people.
Dolly's dream lives on through families who engage in difficult discussions and encourage their children to "speak even if your voice shakes".
"I've got goosebumps ... people aren't doing enough at the moment; we spoke to some corporates and they said it's getting there but it's going very slowly," Ms Nunn said.
The Kids Helpline Annual Impact Report of 2022 revealed that 328,424 young people tried to contact the service, while only 145,000 were connected through to a counsellor (two in five).
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"Some people have asked, who's Dolly? Do we know her? And then we explain. It's just not getting out there fast enough," Ms Nunn said.
Help is also available, but not limited, via the following organisations. The key message is you are not alone.
- Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au
- Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467
- Mensline: 1300 789 978 or mensline.org.au
- Stand By (support after suicide): 1300 727 247
