Find out how you can nominate a “Hero of the Week” at the bottom of the page.
Throughout the week, our ACC Team searches through emails and news articles looking for someone who deserves to be the Hero of the Week…
This week, we shine the spotlight on Patrick Mulvaney, a restaurant owner from Sacramento, California. Patrick started a peer-to-peer counseling and support program called I Got Your Back.
He was inspired to step up after seeing high profile suicides over the last year, including CNN Parts Unknown host Anthony Bourdain. In addition, to Patrick’s own personal loss, four people he knew in the restaurant business all took their lives over four weeks.
Patrick said that according to federal data, substance abuse is higher in the restaurant and hospitality industry more than any other field. So, with I Got Your Back, workers can now check into work by also listing on a card their current mood, whether they’re angry or sad or just blue. A worker on every shift is trained to recognize the signs of a colleague’s mental distress and direct them to help.
Patrick is now organizing mental health training sessions for other restaurants in Sacramento and hopes to see this program go state-wide.
Learn more about Patrick and I Got Your Back in this story from PBS NewsHour.
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Kix’s Response:
Well, creating this kind of environment is so necessary. People don’t have to suffer in silence. So, this week, we honor Patrick Mulvaney as our Hero!
Nominate a Hero of the Week
Now, we want to know who has made a difference in your life. Nominate a local firefighter, police officer, EMT or someone who is serving our country in the military. It could even be a neighbor, family member or friend who lent a crucial helping hand. Let us know all about the person who you feel is a real life hero by emailing us here and please feel free to send us a picture!