The Happy Crew

The Happy Crew is a Colorado non-profit dedicated to teenagers.  Our mission is to destigmatize teen mental health issues and prevent teen suicide. Your donation impacts generations of teenagers, leaving a legacy of hope.

Happy Crew is an organization created by Amy, Megan and Cole Mays and Paul Kuenne. Our history includes seven summers producing teen battle of the band competitions, a weekly middle school hang out at a local restaurant, and then we transitioned to our current Happy Crew concept after 8 teens died by suicide in one school year in Douglas County, Colorado.  Suicide is the number one cause of death in Colorado for people aged 10-24. A recent study from Manhattan Mental Health Counseling reveals that Colorado is one of the worst states for youth’s mental health. We aim to change these statistics and impact lives.   After the loss of a Lacrosse player at Chaparral High School in 2015, Amy was contacted to speak to the team and help them navigate their devastation, grief, and anguish.  Meetings began at Starbucks, quickly moved to a local pizza place, and soon after, moved to Amy’s house.  Happy Crew began with 6 students in the spring of 2015 and has grown to over 171 students who attended at least five meetings during the 2023-2024 schoolyear.  Since the 2020-21 schoolyear, Happy Crew has hosted 618 students.  These original six students determined to make a difference and with one unified voice they spoke: “No more on our watch”. They created Happy Crew, where they met with peers in a relevant, authentic way. They handed out candy bars emblazoned with the words “YOU MATTER.”  Through listening, laughing, candy and connection, they started a movement where everyone belongs.  Today, Happy Crew hands out stickers in the hall at school, giving crew members a vehicle to reach out and share the message: You matter, you belong!  

Each Monday night, students gather for food, conversation, and kinetic learning of mental wellness tools.   Playdough creations form the actors in reels about overcoming negative thoughts, haiku poetry focusing on challenging emotions is composed and performed, storyboards create ideas on how to say “no” to victim mentality… kinetic learning allows the tools to “stick” after a long day in class. Active listening is key to making space for deeper conversations, where thoughts, feelings, success, challenges and failure are shared without fear of judgement. Happy Crew students are careful to provide strict confidentiality within these groups, and trust is built every meeting.  Active listening can lead to vulnerable sharing.  If a student is concerned about any sign of depression or suicidal thoughts, an adult is always brought in for help.   Meetings end with an evaluation of the topic and how students will incorporate the learning, and stickers are handed out to share with friends at school.

Happy Crew is impactful, as one of our leaders, Nathan shares, “"Happy Crew is a place, for me, where I belong and can express my emotions openly without any hesitation, whether I'm at a happy point in my life, or a low point, I always feel like Happy Crew is the place to be, from the awesome community built from a positive environment, everyone who comes to Happy Crew is always so supportive to everyone around them. Also Happy Crew has helped me become more social and less awkward when I am in challenging environments where I don't feel comfortable. I really believe that Happy Crew has strengthened my social mentality in every aspect."

Happy Crew goes BIG on Valentine’s Day, hosting a party with helium balloons filling the house, favorite food and chocolate, valentines that students create for each other, and hoodies are given to every person in attendance.  These hoodies have a message written on the lower left sleeve.   

One of these read, 

Crew = a group of people who have your back. Happy Crew is YOUR CREW.  

Kākou = the Hawaiian value of inclusiveness - to speak the language of “we”

meaning “all of us”, and “we are in this together”.  You matter, you belong! 

Not long after Valentine’s Day, Amy received an early morning phone call.  “Amy, I want you to know you saved my life last night.  I’ve never experienced such darkness and hopelessness before.  Now I understand why teenagers have suicidal thoughts.  But, I had my hoodie on, and I kept reading and re-reading the words on the sleeve, and I am still here.  Thank you.”

It was more than the hoodie of course; it was the community, the belonging, the crew that these students create each week.  They desire to bring more and more friends and other schools into the Crew, but we have outgrown Amy’s house!  We’ve got 80 bright orange folding chairs in the garage, and we are pressed to capacity.   

You have equipped over 600 teens with vital mental health tools since the pandemic.  We are grateful for your partnership!