Jamie Lynn is asking for donations of shoes for an awareness campaign that is traveling the county, displaying 579 pairs of shoes that represent the total number of suicides during the year 2016.
A brave Horowhenua College student is helping to break the silence that surrounds suicide.
Five months ago Jamie Lynn, 17, lost her brother-in-law, 32 year-old Philip Shanks to suicide.
It's a loss that has prompted her to speak up about an issue that she previously knew little about, at her college assembly and as part of a social studies project to influence a change in government policy.
Jamie says blame is the hardest battle for those left behind, and can't help feeling partly at fault.
"I get angry at myself and I feel like I could have done something had I known," she said.
"I wish he would have spoken about his feelings, but I know that if I was in his situation I wouldn't have wanted to talk about those things. It would have been hard."
"I don't think you really can [understand] unless you are in that person's mind."
She said suicide was a big issue in the community but no one talks about it.
"I know three people in my class who have had family members die [from suicide] and that is just in my classroom alone," she said.
As part of her social studies project, Jamie chose to start a petition calling for increased mental health funding, launching a Facebook page called Change Mental Health NZ.
Yes We Care NZ, a new health funding coalition, got in touch through the page to ask if she would be their ambassador for its national awareness roadshow.
The Shoe Project is a collection of 579 pairs of shoes that represent those lost according to national suicide statistics from 2015-2016 and that should be filled, but aren't, the organisation says.
National suicide numbers have risen three years in a row now, with 606 in 2016-17, up from 579 the previous year and 564 the year before that.
The roadshow will stop in Levin on September 9 before making its way to the Beehive for Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.
Jamie's challenge was to gather as many pairs of donated shoes as possible for a display in Levin, to which the national roadshow will provide the balance to make up a display of 579 pairs..
She will be including her brother-in-law's Red Band gumboots as part of the display at Te Takere.
"They will speak for themselves, but I really need the community to back me up and donate shoes."
Anyone who wants to donate shoes can drop them off at Te Takere or at Horowhenua College during school hours.
Horowhenua College Principal Grant Congdon said suicide statistics are not getting better and staying silent wasn't the way to help.
"When Jamie said she wanted to talk to the students, we were supportive of that," he said.
"The assembly was amazing, a really emotional presentation from Jamie that you could tell everyone respected and could relate to in some way.
It achieved what it aimed to do, which was raise awareness, and allowed those to speak who wanted to."
The collected shoes will be transferred to the college, to be kept on permanent display as a way of keeping up awareness.
Where to get help:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
Or if you need to talk to someone else:
• LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• SUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633
• NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7)
• KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm)
• DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757
