The group “i understand” will be offering one-hour training sessions as one of their initiatives in 2026.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — The Christmas decorations are getting taken down. The New Year’s Eve ball has already dropped. People are trading time with family for getting back into their post-holiday work routines. And yes, Michigan is still cold and gray.
This time of year can be tough on people’s mental health. Vonnie Woodrick has seen it.
“As we get into January, February and March, with coming down from the holidays, coming down from, seeing those photos of everybody’s perfect lives and everything they got to do, and you’re not in that space. We don’t know what pain is going to hit us and when that’s going to hit it. It can happy any day of the year” said Woodrick, who is the founder of a mental health organization called i understand.
In an effort to help, one of the organization’s initiatives for 2026 will be what’s called “Be The ONE” training.
“In your business or school, we can come in and we can offer an hour of how can you be the one for someone,” she said.
The training focuses on the acronym “ONE” with “O” standing for offering support. “N” stands for narrate and reminds us to focus on using loving, non-judging, non-stigmatizing language when talking to someone who is struggling. “E” simply stands for encourage.
“Talking saves lives. It’s the most important thing that you can do, then get the help and support, whatever that may look like and whatever you may be going through,” Woodrick said.
“We’re not therapists, but we can help you find one. And we would love to be able to come in and share the Be The ONE training, to get everybody to understand that pain is the common denominator of all suicides.”
Woodrick has a simple message of her own for anyone who may be struggling.
“I would say they are loved. They’re they’re very important. I would say that the world is a much better place with you in it,” she said.
If you’d like to learn more about Be The ONE training, you can visit i understand’s website. And if you or someone you know is in a mental health crisis right now, you can call 988 any time of day for free to be connected with someone who can help.