Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Tuia’ana
Hi Joe , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
On a busy Saturday morning in January, 2022, Joe Tuia’ana and his 3 daughters were on their
way to his daughter’s basketball game when they came upon a man in a suicide crisis.
Joe and his daughters pulled over immediately.
Joe told his daughters “Stay here and call the police. I got this..”
When he stepped out of his car, he nearly passed out from the pressure of the situation. Joe absolutely did not feel that he “had this”.
Thoughts of “You’re not good enough…you’re not qualified…let someone else handle
this…you’re going to make things worse..” filled his mind with doubt.
Joe had just gotten over Covid-19 which had progressed into double pneumonia. He, in no way, felt he had the physical, emotional strength to be of any of help to anyone, let alone this man who was desperate for help.
In utter desperation, Joe closed his eyes and offered a quick prayer, saying “Heavenly Father, please PLEASE let this man feel loved”. After that prayer, Joe felt a small surge of confidence.
He thought to himself: “What would Jesus do? Just love him”.
Joe then had a strong impression to slowly walk towards the man, with his arms open as if to
give him a hug, and repeated the words: “I love you, bro”.
That’s all Joe could say to the man, and he kept repeating it to him.
With those simple yet powerful words, Joe was able to love the man off the ledge, and then sat
with the man and cried with him, whispering through his tears “I love you, bro”.
After this life-changing experience, Joe searched online for available mental health resources
that were specifically for men…but could find none.
On the same search, Joe noticed that nearly 80% of ALL suicides are men.
Joe’s heart broke.
“Is this going to be just a nice story I tell people, or can this be a moment that turns into a
movement”? This terribly beautiful experience inspired Joe to create his own mental
health and suicide prevention resources for men.
Soon after, Joe started a 501c3 nonprofit organization that is specifically for Men’s Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, and ongoing Personal Development. Joe fittingly called it – The i love you bro PROJECT.
The i love you bro PROJECT offers:
* Free Men’s Support Groups to build trusted relationships
* Free Life Workshops for Men to learn about all types of Mental Health and Addiction
challenges
* Access to Free professional talk-therapy for those men who need extra care and can’t afford it
* Free Support-centered workshops for Women to assist the men in their lives with their mental health
Joe has served over 3k men in the Salt Lake and Utah county areas, giving men safe and shame-free places to
show and share their emotions. These spaces facilitate deep conversations which form deep connections between men, all while being reminded of their incredible self-worth and purpose.
The man who Joe loved off the ledge, along with Joe’s daughters, are all active with him in Men’s Mental Health
and Suicide Prevention in the i love you bro PROJECT, helping with groups, workshops, and fundraisers.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Just two weeks prior to the incredible suicide prevention experience, I had quit drinking alcohol, which was a huge struggle for me. At the time, I was very close to relapsing. The physical and emotional struggles from being very sick for so long was weighing on me incredibly.
The suicide experience quite literally forced me to rely on faith and God, something that I could not do before with my struggles.
I tell Aron, my new little brother that I loved off the ledge that day, “two men were saved that day – you AND me”.
Since then, I’m happy to say that I’m enjoying 100% sobriety!
With our work now, we are struggling to expand our services due to funding.
As you know, we’re big fans of i love you bro PROJECT. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The i love you bro PROJECT is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to men’s mental health, suicide prevention, and ongoing personal development.
The i love you bro PROJECT currently provides:
* FREE Weekly Support Groups for men
* FREE Monthly Life Workshops for men
* FREE Social Connection Activities for men
* FREE clinical Talk Therapy for men
* FREE Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Support Workshops for Women
At our FREE weekly support groups, men can expect to:
* Connect in shame-free safe zones to share emotions and challenges
* Build connection with other men through mutual struggles
* Receive experienced counsel from the group (if desired)
* Feel the love and support of a gathered brotherhood
At our FREE monthly life workshops, men can expect:
* Valuable Training from Educated Clinicians and Professionals
* Variety of Difficult Topics such as Grief, Divorce, Addiction, Trauma and Suicide Prevention
* Assortment of Self-Improvement Courses such as Marriage & Dating, Parenting, and Listening & Communicating
* Improve Self-Esteem and Self-Awareness
* Improve Relationships
FREE Monthly Activities for Men – ‘Social Connection’ Events
* Fun, social opportunities for men to gather and connect in a comfortable setting
* Learn beneficial best practices for physical and mental health
* Valuable opportunities for men to perform service in the community as a group
* Relaxed chances for men in the community who are unaware of our programs to participate with us and learn about the i love you bro PROJECT
For our FREE 1 on 1 Care Program, men can expect:
* 5 sessions of professional clinical therapy
* Each session is solution-based and is formatted to empower men to address their emotions and challenges
* After the completion of sessions, adding that priceless value to our support groups for other men
At our FREE “i love you sis” workshops, women can expect:
* Mental Health disorders like Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma, and how to talk about how to address these challenges with the men in their lives
* Suicide Prevention and signs to look for in men
* A variety of Addictions, like Pornography, Prescription Drugs, Alcohol, and how they can support the men in their lives who struggle with these challenges
* Intentional Listening & Compassionate Communication
* Relationship Building
The i love you bro PROJECT is the ONLY Men’s organization which offers evidence-based programs specifically for men, ALL for free.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Real mentorship can only be acquired through connection. Find someone who not only has the experience you wish to have, but also someone that you can connect with. From there, your experiences with them will me much more impactful and long-lasting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://iloveyoubroproject.org
- Instagram: iloveyoubroproject
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/iloveyoubroproject
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@iloveyoubroPROJECT
