JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While suicide is a subject that many shy away from discussing, the Vinson Foundation is dedicated to providing solace and community for those affected. Gloria Vinson has transformed her personal tragedy into a beacon of hope for others.

“My husband Jimmy was a general contractor during the day and a karaoke DJ by night,” Gloria shared.

He had a passion for singing.

“Jimmy had an incredible voice. He was a father to two daughters and had just become a grandfather when he ended his life. He was deeply loved by many. My experience mirrors that of many who reach out to me; it was completely unexpected,” Gloria explained.

When he died by suicide in 2013, Gloria said she didn’t know where to turn.

“It was very hard for me to deal with. I didn’t know where to go. I have a huge family. I have a ton of friends, but I just didn’t know how to get support. And people want to support you, but they don’t know how. So, I was lost. And that’s the way a lot of people feel. I was totally confused.”

Determined to help, Gloria launched the Vinson Foundation.

“We basically turned his office into the headquarters of the Vinson Foundation,” she said.

According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023 someone in the United States died by suicide about every 11 minutes.

“I felt like I needed to do something for the families left behind and that’s why I started the foundation. Because that’s what we’re about. We’re about, unfortunately, the after effect once the suicide happens. The families need support and that’s what we’re about — to give them whatever support they need.”

For nearly a decade, Gloria has poured her time and energy into walking alongside families on the First Coast  and across the country who are navigating unimaginable grief.

“Just in the past year I’ve had over 300 families contact me. And there’s more again that have not reached out,” Gloria said. “I’ve had people say to me, I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for your foundation. And I’ve had several people say that and I feel, I feel like I wouldn’t still be here if I hadn’t started that.”

Her mission is to create a safe space where people who have lost a loved one to suicide can get support without fear or judgment.

“It just makes you feel better to know that you can vent and just cry, scream, shout, cuss, whatever you have to do to get your feelings out. It’s a comfort knowing that you can do that with no judgment. And that’s what we’re about.”

The foundation offers in-person and online support groups, one-on-one meetings, and assistance with practical needs like housing, travel or funeral expenses.

“There’s a lot of insurance companies that don’t cover suicide,” Gloria said.

The Vinson Foundation runs entirely on volunteers and offers every service free of charge.

“If they need help with something going on in the household, they need it cleaned, or they can’t stay there anymore, or they need some temporary living, or they need to go see their uncle in whatever state — just whatever they need, we support them and we help them with all that.”

Support When It Matters Most

“I get calls in the middle of the night sometimes. It’s either a call that it just happened to them, they don’t know what to do… or it happened 5 years ago and they’re just now trying to talk to someone about it,” Gloria said.

For those struggling after a suicide, Gloria wants them to know:

“We just want them to know that we are there for them. That they can contact us anytime we can help them through this we can if it’s early in the stages we can help them with plans if it’s not early in the stages and they just need some help, we can help them with that if if it’s, uh, financial related we can help them with that. We just want them to know that we support them in whatever they need.”

Breaking the silence remains one of the foundation’s biggest challenges.

“Suicide is one of those things a lot of people don’t talk about. That’s part of the problem. It’s still a stigma. In a lot of churches, communities, they just don’t want to talk about it. And even if they say they do, they are not comfortable. And so that’s what makes it hard for that family. That’s why we exist,” she said.

Through her grief, Gloria has built a lifeline for others. The foundation offers comfort, hope, and connection to families who need it most.

“Gloria, you have done so much to help so many here on the First Coast and so on behalf of all of us at First Coast News, it is my honor to present you with the 12 Who Care award,” Heather Crawford said. “Thank you for all that you do.”

“It’s very emotional for me. The whole thing is actually. Just being able to talk to you is very emotional and I just appreciate the opportunity to share what we do and why we do it and getting this away is very emotional,” Gloria said.

Gloria’s story reminds us that even in the darkest times, hope and healing are possible. Through the Vinson Foundation, families who might feel completely alone are finding support, guidance, and love, a testament to turning heartbreak into a mission that changes lives.