Our Mission
Our Story
Our Team
The IAM Strong Foundation works to shatter the stigma associated with teen mental health issues, emphasizing the need to treat mental health issues no differently than physical health issues.
We plan to do this by creating a dialog among teens and adults and eliminating the isolation and stigma associated with teenage mental health struggles by providing resources, support and acceptance.
We will work to develop educational materials to support these efforts and will fund programming directed at teens starting in the middle school and continuing through high school.
We will also look to provide grants and funding for programs that align with our values and mission statement. These grants will be funded through fundraising, donations and community activities.
Isabelle Alexandra Medina (IAM) was thirteen years old when she took her life on September 6th, 2014. Those who knew Isabelle describe her as a kind, intelligent, funny, and outgoing girl who radiated happiness and brought laughter to all of those around her.
We at the IAM Strong Foundation see that a change needs to be made in the way in which mental health is viewed. As a result of frequently attached stigma, teenagers can feel as though getting the help they need and deserve is not an option. We aim to communicate to teenagers that they are not alone in their mental health struggles. Our core belief is that having positive supports can and will make a difference in the emotional well-being of those facing the challenges of mental illness. It is through this philosophy that we hope to make a change in the lives and experiences of teenagers.
Isabelle may be gone, but her spirit still lives on, and we here at the IAM Strong Foundation see it as our mission to keep her legacy alive. Through awareness and education, we plan to bring light to a serious topic not discussed often enough -- mental health. The IAM Strong Foundation works to shatter stigma, promote acceptance, and ensure that no teenager should ever have to experience a tragic death such as the one which took Isabelle.
It is in this way which we will hold onto Isabelle's memory. Please join us in our work to provide support to teenagers.
IAM Strong Board of Directors
Emily Medina
Mario Medina
Sophie Medina
Carol Morrison Deutsch
Karen Jordanides
Cheryl Morrison Deutsch
The Isabelle A. Medina Memorial Fund, Inc., dba The IAM Strong Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code. Your contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
Our tax ID number is 47-1773442
Disclaimer: This page is not intended for intervention. We do not monitor this page 24/7/365 and it should not used for professional counseling or support. If this is a life-threatening situation call 911 for immediate assistance or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).