Beth Martinez lost her younger brother, Ben Bloom, almost six years ago from suicide after years of struggling with mental health. Ben was 37 years old when he died. Here, Martinez shares about who Ben's life was and the impact his death made.

Access to health care is a concern for many Peorians. However, finding health care is an even greater struggle for members of the LGBTQ community, who often can't find medical providers willing to serve them, offer the services they need, or make them feel comfortable in a vulnerable setting.

Mental health challenges aren't just an adult problem. The issue is also profound for children and their families. That's true in the Peoria area, where pediatric hospitalizations for behavioral health reasons are higher than the state average.

A void sometimes separates people in need of behavioral health treatment from the organizations able to provide it.

According to the 2022 Community Needs Health Assessment survey, the percentage of people reporting “poor” mental health doubled in the past three years to 16%.