March Newsletter

This month we find ourselves playing with the concept and theme of time and how it relates to our everyday lives. How it measures growth, age, wisdom, and experiences alike.

1 year—the length of time since the world was officially declared in a pandemic related to COVID-19.

93 minutes—the length of additional daylight we receive throughout the month of March … thank you, Daylight Savings Time.

22 years—the amount of time Scott spent at Marco before retiring March 1st.

4 in 10—the number of people who’ve reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic (up from 1 in 10 people in 2019).

12 minutes—the span in between deaths by suicide in the U.S.

So what do all these stats have to do with each other? Time is precious and without guarantee. Each of us has a finite amount of time connected to our lives. It’s our message this month to embrace your time for what it is—an immeasurable gift to yourself and those you love and support. May you continue to live each day fully and with intention.

There’s no time like the present,

Reyne & Scott Roeder


A Fond Farewell

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After 22 good years at Marco, Scott has officially retired. As his retirement gift, Marco presented him with a check for $2,500.00 to the Jackson Roeder Memorial Fund. Marco has been a tremendous supporter of Central Minnesota on mental health and suicide prevention. Here’s Scott with friend and CEO Jeff Gau on his last day.

To the entire culture and leadership at Marco, thank you for your endless support of our family and our cause. We’ll always be grateful and look back on these years fondly.

Scott intends to spend his “new” time with his family, on advocacy and the Jackson Roeder Memorial Fund, and on the golf course!


Let the Sun Shine Run

In April of 2010, the Robbins family lost their son Jonathan to suicide. He was 22. His Mom, Kathy, called him “her sunshine” nearly his whole life. The “Let the Sun Shine Run” is a 2.2 mile run/walk that sheds a light on suicide, its survivors, and mental health.

All event proceeds are donated to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, with the goal of everyone being empowered to live full, happy, and productive lives. Cures and continual advances in medicine bring hope to all those suffering.

This year’s event is the 11th annual and will be held Saturday, April 24 at 9am at St. Boniface Church in Cold Spring. Our family will be ready to walk in Jackson’s memory and look forward to seeing familiar faces at the starting line.

Registration information is here.

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Reflections About Time & Change
By Dennis Klass; PhD Webster University, St. Louis, MO

I often wonder what people are thinking when they say, “You’ll get over it.”

Sometimes it sounds to me as if they are talking about a case of mumps or my despair at income tax time.

But what can they mean when they say it about grief? Maybe they mean that grief is just an interruption in life. Their theory seems to be that life is basically happy -- buying stuff, working, watching TV -- but that a time of death and grief is an unnatural and sad time in that happy life. I can’t agree with that view.

Time can lessen the hurt; the empty place we have can seem smaller as other things and experiences fill our life; we can forget for periods and feel as if our loved one didn’t die; we can learn to remember the good and hold on to that.

But we cannot “get over it,” because to get over it would mean we were not changed by the experience. It would mean we did not grow by the experience. It would mean that the death made no difference in our life.

No, we don’t get over it. We change and grow. Our life has a difference which is ours alone. Perhaps we can help each other make that difference, the kind of difference that increases the world’s supply of compassion, love and healing.

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Resources & Can't-Miss:

Morning Optimist Club
Virtual event April 13th featuring Scott as the guest speaker on behalf of the St. Cloud Optimist Club.

Breaking Barriers for Mental Health Awareness
Blog from United Way of Central Minnesota on the unique partnership between the organization and JRMF.

EmPATH Unit at CentraCare
Due to a $1.2M Helmsley Grant, CentraCare is implementing an innovative care model for adult patients experiencing emergency mental health needs. EmPATH is set to open this summer.

Family to Family
NAMI offers Family to Family, a free 8-session educational program designed to improve the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255 or text “MN” to 741-741

Continue to stay up-to-date by following the Jackson Roeder Memorial Fund Facebook page where we will share information and events with the community on mental health and suicide prevention.