The Kate Spade Brand Announces Plan to Donate Over $1 Million to Mental Health Initiatives

The tragic and unexpected suicide of Kate Spade has sparked a tremendous outpouring of support from both the Hollywood and fashion community, as well as loyal customers and fans of the beloved brand.

On June 21, Kate Spade New York announced a plan to help those who are struggling with depression and other mental health issues by donating over $1 million to suicide prevention and mental health initiatives.

Via Instagram, the brand posted that it not only plans to donate to mental health awareness causes, but it will “match your donations too.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkP1XjUHHob/?utm_source=ig_embed

“In honor of our company founder, kate spade, our foundation is donating over $1 million to suicide prevention and mental health awareness causes, starting with $250,000 to the @crisistextline,” the post’s caption reads.

According to the post, from June 22 through June 29, 2018, the Kate Spade New York Foundation will match public donations — up to $100,000 — made to Crisis Text Line, a non-profit organization that offers crisis intervention free of charge. The post urges people to head to crisistextline.org/katespadeny to donate.

The post has been met with positivity and praise, with commenters thanking the brand for its efforts to spread awareness and continue Kate Spade’s legacy.

“Your efforts will heighten awareness and save more lives than you’ll ever know,” commented Instagram user @terrimccandless. “As too many of us have loved ones who either suffer with or have succumbed to mental illness via suicide. Kate Spade products has always represented happiness to me. It always will.”

The announcement of this generous donation comes about a week after David Spade honored his sister-in-law with a $100,000 donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The announcement was also made on the day of Spade’s funeral, which took place in Kansas City on June 21.

Kate Spade’s life was honored with a Christian burial and mass. Instead of flowers, her obituary asks to “kindly direct donations to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) or to Wayside Waifs, Kansas City’s largest no-kill animal shelter and pet adoption campus.”

If you or someone you know is in need of mental health support, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).