A small group of Mercer Island students have turned a simple idea into a powerful message: sometimes awareness can start with something as ordinary as a T-shirt.
What began as conversations among friends about mental health, loss, and the weight many young people quietly carry has grown into 988 Find Your Peace, a student-led apparel initiative raising awareness for mental health and supporting SOUND Behavioral Health, one of the largest providers of mental health and addiction services in King County. The project was founded by Levi Jones, Ronan Buckley, and Connor Flume, all students of Mercer Island High School, who wanted to make it easier – and more socially acceptable – to talk about mental health.
“We got curious about how we could get people talking about this,” said Levi Jones, now a senior. “Mental health still carries a lot of stigma, and we wanted to create something that opened up conversation in a natural way.”
The idea centered on the number 988, the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched in 2022 as an easy-to-remember resource for anyone experiencing emotional distress. In King County, calls to 988 connect people to local, in-person support through SOUND Behavioral Health’s Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Team (MRRCT) which provides on-the-ground intervention for those experiencing a crisis.
By placing the number front and center on sweatshirts and T-shirts, the students hoped to normalize seeing it – and talking about it – everywhere from school hallways to coffee shops.
“The reason we wanted to root this entire project in 988 was because each of us have a shared experience in dealing with mental health issues – whether it was a family member, friend, or even ourselves,” said Flume. “We thought using 988 in our design was a great way to spark conversations with our peers that might not happen otherwise, to make the conversation more approachable for everyone.”
The trio decided early on that this would be more than just a clothing project. They positioned 988 Find Your Peace as a nonprofit initiative, with 100% of profits donated to SOUND Behavioral Health, an organization that has served King County for 60 years. SOUND provides counseling, crisis support, housing assistance, and recovery services to more than 14,000 people each year.
Each founder brought a different skill set to the project. Flume took the lead on design, creating clean, understated graphics that made the message approachable. Buckley handled outreach to manufacturers and learned the logistics of apparel production. Jones coordinated shipping, website management, and social media outreach, helping the brand find its audience.
Teachers at Mercer Island High School were among the early supporters, wearing the shirts and sweatshirts and helping spread awareness organically. The response reinforced the group’s belief that subtle visibility could lead to meaningful conversations.
So far, 988 Find Your Peace has generated about $2,000 in profit donated directly to SOUND Behavioral Health. For SOUND Behavioral Health, the partnership represents the kind of boots-on-the-ground advocacy that can make a lasting difference, especially with younger audiences.
“Seeing young people lead with empathy and action is incredibly powerful,” said Michelle Bollinger, a MRRCT supervisor at SOUND Behavioral Health. “These students took something as simple as apparel and used it to elevate awareness of 988, normalizing reaching out for help. It sends a clear message: crisis support is available, and it’s okay to lean on the resources around you when you need it.”
Bollinger noted that visibility is critical when it comes to crisis resources. “In moments of distress, people need options they can remember,” she said. “Every time someone sees 988 on a sweatshirt, it reinforces that help is accessible and just a few minutes away.”
Letitia Johnson, Director of Donor Relations & Corporate and Community Partnerships at SOUND, emphasized the significance of community-driven support.
“What makes this initiative so meaningful is that it comes directly from young people who care deeply about mental health in their community,” Johnson said. “Their commitment to SOUND shows a level of integrity and purpose that aligns perfectly with our longstanding mission of hope, healing, and recovery.”
Johnson added that partnerships like 988 Find Your Peace help extend SOUND’s reach beyond traditional channels. “When someone chooses to wear these shirts, they’re not just supporting SOUND,” she said. “They’re becoming advocates. They’re helping erase stigma and inviting others into the conversation, a conversation that people were too scared to have for a long time.”
For the founders, that sense of shared purpose is what continues to motivate them. Buckley finds peace outdoors with wake surfing, backpacking, and hiking with friends, while Flume draws inspiration from art and connection. Those personal experiences shaped the brand’s core message: peace is personal, but support is universal.
As 988 Find Your Peace looks ahead, the founders hope to continue growing awareness, expanding their reach, and keeping the focus where it belongs: connection, conversation, and community care.
To learn more or support the initiative, visit the students’ website at 988findyourpeace.com. Donations to support SOUND Behavioral Health can also be made @ https://www.sound.health.
“Seeing young people lead with empathy and action is incredibly powerful” - Michelle Bollinger