GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Brothers Helping Brothers — it's the local men's group in Green Bay aiming to tackle the stigma of mental health among men.
- Video shows a room full of men from different backgrounds gathering at a local cigar lounge to discuss life and potential mental health hurdles.
- Jason Wright Sr., Delorean Walls, and Elton Gofoe established in the group in April 2023. The group organizes community events for the homeless, youth, and other groups.
- 6 million men suffer from depression annually, the majority being under-diagnosed.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"We'll never turn anyone away because it's all in the name of mental health," Jason Wright Sr., executive director and co-founder of Brothers Helping Brothers, said. "If it wasn't for these brothers, I couldn't help nobody," Wright said.
Delorean Walls and Elton Gofoe join Wright as co-founders of the group.
"We might be different minded individuals, but we have the same like-minded goals and that's living in unity," Walls said.
The group started after Wright and Walls learned they both lost a loved one to suicide.
Now, they meet every Tuesday night at Prohibition Spirits and Cigar Lounge to discuss handling life's toughest challenges.
"Like Psalms 133 says, 'How sweet and pleasant it is for men to dwell together in unity,'" Walls said.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says each year more than 6 million men suffer from depression, a condition often under-diagnosed among men.
The association also said less than half of American men affected, seek treatment.
"I did not move here with this intention, but I was fortunate enough to find other men who are like-minded," Gofoe said. "Most importantly, (they) are willing to do something to correct it."
April will mark the group's first anniversary and Wright said they always get a big crowd.
"People come in and they trust this circle," Wright said. "They trust it because it's real. It's nothing far fetched and it's simple, 'How did your week go?'"
Wright said their circle is growing as they serve different communities across the city.
I sat in on the group's most recent event — a mentoring session for boys called From Boys to Men.
"If I want peace, I have to bring peace," Walls said. "If I want joy I have to bring joy, if I want love, I have to bring love."
The group says they plan to continue to merge with other groups and organizations this year such as the Urban Cultural Arts Center, the Micah Center, and Foundations just to name a few
