Be Strong Strengthens Access to Help Nationwide, Serving Over 46,000 in Crisis and Expanding Partnerships to Meet Rising Need

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As young people across the United States faced rising challenges in 2025, national charity Be Strong responded by strengthening access to care, supporting student leaders on the front lines, and ensuring help reached people faster when it mattered most.

At the center of Be Strong's work are its Student Representatives, peer leaders trained and equipped to recognize struggle, create connection, and guide peers toward trusted support. This student led approach is strengthened by Be Strong's innovative use of real time, community generated help seeking data, allowing the organization to understand evolving needs and continuously align solutions with what individuals and communities are actively seeking, ensuring programs remain responsive, relevant, and grounded in lived experience.

Together, this combination of youth leadership and real time insight helped Be Strong connect 46,519 individuals in crisis to immediate and ongoing help in 2025, expand its presence across communities nationwide, and reach more than 1.6 million young people through peer-to-peer leadership and volunteerism.

"2025 wasn't just about growth, it was about responsibility," said Ashleigh Cromer, CEO and Chair of Be Strong. "As needs rose, we stayed steady. We were deeply moved by those who showed up to help and equally by the courage of those who chose to ask for help. By listening closely to what communities were asking for in real time, we helped reduce the risk that struggles would become silence or crisis and that young people would feel alone."

That collective response extended beyond campuses. Individuals from small towns to big cities rallied around Be Strong's Never Alone Campaign, a national effort designed to ensure young people know they are never alone and help is here. The campaign galvanized communities nationwide, successfully reaching its initial $150,000 matching goal. In response to this momentum and continued need, Be Strong announced the match has now been increased to $250,000, extending the opportunity for supporters to multiply their impact.

The Never Alone Campaign reinforces a simple but powerful idea. Everyone has a role to play, whether by giving help or getting help, and access to support should never depend on geography or circumstance. Those interested can learn more or contribute at
Never Alone Campaign.

Be Strong's impact is strengthened through long standing, mission aligned partnerships that invest in young leaders and the communities they serve. Among them is Hormel Foods, whose collaboration with Be Strong centers on developing strong, values driven leaders through its 10 Under 20 Food Heroes program.

"The Hormel Foods 10 Under 20 Food Heroes are doing remarkable things in their communities – from passing state legislation to creating their own nonprofits to improve the food system. What we don't always recognize is that even these young leaders sometimes need support, too. Our partnership with Be Strong helps ensure they – and the schools and peers they influence – have access to help when it's needed. It's a thoughtful extension of the Food Heroes program, strengthening support for these students and the communities they serve," said Katie Clark, senior vice president and chief communications officer for Hormel Foods.

Be Strong also works alongside BetterHelp, the world's largest online therapy platform, to strengthen pathways to ongoing care, ensuring that when a student leader helps someone take the first step toward support, continued care and resources are accessible beyond that moment.

"Peer support plays a powerful role in helping young people take the first step toward care. Through our partnership with Be Strong, we aim to extend that moment into continued access to mental health support, so no one is left to navigate their challenges alone," said Ciara Kelly, Program Manager of Social Impact, BetterHelp.

According to Dr. Pamela Morris Perez, professor of applied psychology at NYU and Be Strong advisory board member, Be Strong's approach reflects what research shows is most effective for adolescents.

"Be Strong's highly innovative peer to peer approach builds squarely on the science of adolescent development. By putting resources directly into the hands of youth, Be Strong is preventing problems from escalating, ensuring that young people are accessing the help they need to thrive."

Central to this work is the free, anonymous Be Strong App, which translates real time community needs into accessible support, giving students, families, and communities trusted resources anytime, anywhere in the U.S. By combining youth leadership, technology, and partnerships, Be Strong is building durable systems of care that meet people where they are, often within moments of reaching out.

This moment calls for something deeper within all of us. It calls for presence over passivity, connection over comfort, and the courage to step in when someone is struggling. When we choose to notice, to listen, and to act, whether by giving help or asking for it, we become part of the solution. This is how "Never Alone" moves from a message to a movement.

Looking ahead to 2026, Be Strong plans to expand the reach of the Never Alone Campaign by leaning further into partnerships, media, storytelling, and amplifying what help looks like, how accessible it can be, and how communities can show up for one another.

"Our goal is simple," Cromer added. "Make help visible. Make it accessible. And make sure every young person knows they're never alone and help is here."

For more information about Be Strong or to access free, confidential support, visit www.bestrong.org.

ABOUT BE STRONG

Be Strong is a leading national charity on mission to save and improve the lives of our youth using a peer-to-peer approach. From small towns to big cities, thousands of student volunteers are implementing Be Strong's proven impact model in half the counties across the US.

Through educational events, on-campus student led initiatives, evidence-based curriculum and digital intervention tools such as emergency checklists and the Be Strong App, we are strengthening mental, emotional, and relational health, building resilience, helping the most vulnerable with basic needs, and preventing bullying – at no cost to students & families.

CONTACT
[email protected] 

SOURCE Be Strong