Hope in the Heartland: Why This Crosby Leader Believes Kindness Can Save Lives

Picture Jennifer Lowe sitting at a coffee shop in Brainerd, wrestling with a question most of us deflect with a quick "I'm fine." When asked how she's really doing, the answer she doesn't say out loud is the honest one: "We're struggling." It's the Minnesota nice way of navigating life's rough patches—the instinct to paint over pain with politeness. But Lowe, who serves as Director of Foundation and Community Relations at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center and board chair for Smiles for Jake, has built her life's work around breaking through that silence.

Her mission matters more than ever in central Minnesota, where suicide rates tell a story our communities can no longer ignore.

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

Rural Minnesota faces a suicide epidemic that demands urgent attention. Preliminary 2024 data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows 813 suicide deaths statewide, maintaining the same rate as 2023 at 13.9 per 100,000 people. But the story shifts dramatically when you zoom into rural counties like those surrounding Crosby, Brainerd, and the Cuyuna Range.

In 2024, the suicide rate in entirely rural counties was twice that of the Twin Cities metro area. Crow Wing County—home to Brainerd, Baxter, and Crosby—recorded a suicide rate of 18.6 per 100,000 people, significantly higher than the state average. Between 2019 and 2023, Minnesota's most rural counties posted a suicide rate of 19.5 per 100,000, which is 59% higher than the Twin Cities and 46% higher than counties with urban areas outside the metro.

Health experts point to poor access to mental health care and persistent stigma as key drivers of higher rural suicide rates. As Monica McConkey, a Rural Mental Health Specialist, puts it: "Get rid of the Minnesota nice thing and check in on people. If someone was in a car accident, we would stop and help because we can visually see they're in trouble. If we visually see or sense someone is in trouble emotionally we need to help".

VIDEO CREDIT: Lakeland PBS

Building Hope Through Connection

Lowe's involvement with Smiles for Jake became deeply personal the same year 16-year-old Jake Haapajoki passed away—she lost a beloved colleague to suicide. "I really was called to make a difference in the world," she explains. "I don't believe anybody should have no hope that they feel that they have to take their life, and I just want to make it a better place."

Smiles for Jake operates as a suicide prevention movement spreading positivity through life-affirming actions, listening ears, and the message that everyone should have hope. The organization teaches the S.M.I.L.E. Advocate Program (Supporting, Mentoring, Inspiring Life in Everyone) to area businesses, teachers, bus drivers, and high school students across central Minnesota. Their approach rejects statistics-driven fear in favor of human connection and simple kindness.

"There's so much negativity in the world, especially with social media," Lowe says. "We focus on so much negativity that we often forget the good things that happen and just being kind to one another. If we could all be kind to each other, we can change somebody's day."

The philosophy works in tangible ways. Early in Smiles for Jake's history, a local healthcare provider shared that a suicidal patient reconsidered their decision after seeing a Smiles for Jake poster—just the smiley face logo made them think twice. At the organization's "Snow Many Smiles" Christmas event held each December, families unplug from devices, connect face-to-face, and experience the simple joy of community.

Healthcare Meets Community Action

At Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, Lowe leads fundraising efforts that directly support patients facing crisis. The CRMC Foundation, established in 2010, channels community contributions toward medical technology, special projects, and a fund that helps cancer patients cover basic necessities—food, heating, rent—while undergoing treatment.

"Through my work, I'm able to help our patients," Lowe explains. "To be able to help them is amazing. If I am having a bad day and I know I'm doing something good and I get a great thank you letter or phone call or just see somebody smile because it's something I did, that's all it takes."

Her dual roles at the hospital foundation and Smiles for Jake create a powerful feedback loop: medical care addresses immediate health crises, while community connection prevents them from escalating. Both recognize that healing happens through relationships, not just prescriptions.

Resources Growing, But Gaps Remain

Minnesota has made meaningful investments in suicide prevention infrastructure. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which replaced the longer National Suicide Prevention Hotline number in 2022, answered 90,080 contacts in Minnesota during 2024—a 75% increase from 2023. The state's local lifeline workforce maintains a 91% average answer rate with wait times of just 19 seconds for calls and 16 seconds for chats and texts.

The Brainerd Lakes area offers multiple mental health resources, including Northern Pines Mental Health Center, Safe Harbor Crisis Stabilization Services, and a Peer Support Warmline operating daily from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.. However, access remains limited compared to urban areas, and proposed federal funding cuts threaten to undermine this progress.

Lowe emphasizes that formal resources matter, but everyday human connection saves lives too. "It's okay to not be okay," she insists. "Smiles for Jake is a movement, and we're here. We have the resources, we have the education programs. We will connect you if you have concerns. We're going to support you through it and hold your hand. We will be here for that."

What You Can Do

For central Minnesota residents wanting to support mental health in their communities, Lowe offers straightforward advice rooted in her own hard-won wisdom. After navigating divorce years ago, she learned that seeking outside perspective doesn't signal weakness—it demonstrates strength. "It's okay to ask for help," she says. "It actually makes you strong that you're confident enough to say, 'I need an outside viewpoint.'"

If you notice someone seems disconnected:

- Pull them aside privately and ask if everything's okay

- Start slow and ease into conversation

- Listen without judgment

- Connect them to resources if needed

If you or someone you know is struggling:

- Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

- Contact Northern Pines Mental Health Center at (320) 639-2025

- Reach the Peer Support Warmline at (844) 739-6369

- Call Safe Harbor Crisis Stabilization Services at (218) 454-3844

- For immediate police assistance, call 911

When Lowe thinks about her legacy, she hopes people will say she "stood for kindness and good and made a change in the world and helped a lot of people." In a region where suicide rates run twice the metro average, that's not aspirational—it's essential. Every conversation started, every hand extended, every moment of genuine connection chips away at the isolation that feeds despair.

"Every life matters," Lowe says. "There is hope. You matter. We care about you. We love you. And it's going to be okay. I promise you. You'll get through it."

Reader Poll: Have you noticed someone struggling recently but weren't sure how to help? We'd love to hear your experiences and questions. Email us at joshua@lakesareanewsletter.com