My mental health?
I’m working on it...

without a gun around.

Talk it Out

When you’re struggling with your own mental health or worried about a loved one, talking is simple but powerful.

Don’t know where to start? The best way to help a friend is to A.S.K.

Ask for Help

Check out Active Minds, NAMI and The Trevor Project for resources for young people working on their mental health.

Keep Working On It — Without a Gun Around

Learn more about why we’re safer without guns around. Then, learn how to talk to your peers about those risks.

Nearly half of teens nationwide say they’re concerned about their own mental health. And while we’re working on it, we’re safer without guns around. Why? Just having a firearm in the home significantly raises the risk of injury or death.

Get the facts

Mental health is a journey, not a straight line. And while you’re working on it, having a gun around makes things riskier.

4x

Suicide rates are four times higher for teens who live with a gun in their home

#1

Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens

1 hour

70% of suicide attempts occur within an hour of someone making the decision to attempt

90%

Most people who attempt suicide survive and don’t later die by suicide. But with a gun around, 90% of suicide attempts end in death.

While working on our mental health, having a gun around adds risk.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or experiencing suicidal ideation, don’t hesitate: call, text or chat 988 to reach the free 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Get Involved

Join Project Unloaded’s text list to learn more and help spread the message that while we’re working on our mental health, we’re safer without guns around.

Text with us

Together, we’re working on it

Hear from teens and young people across the country who are making the choice to work on their mental health without a gun around, and they’re inviting their friends to do the same.

Project Unloaded Activity Guide

In this toolkit you will find five engaging activities crafted specifically for young people to help you navigate conflicting messages around guns and safety. Check some of the activities below:

Countdown
Challenge

The Countdown Challenge is a real-talk activity that unpacks the truth about how guns add risk, not safety. Through powerful 3-2-1 facts, you’ll learn how choosing to own or use guns increases risk—then flip the script with a 3-2-1 self-care challenge: 3 minutes of movement, 2 songs on a shared playlist, and 1 silly selfie. 

Log Off

In “Log Off,” you’ll take a quiet moment to reflect—then connect. Start solo: write, voice-record, or just think about what wellness and safety mean to you, and the ways you’re “working on it” in your own life. Then team up with others who share similar goals and ideas. Whether it’s journaling, setting boundaries, or moving your body, this activity helps you see who else is on the same path—and reminds us, we’re 
not alone.

The Safety Lens

What makes you feel safe? For most of us, that’s family, friends, and more—but not guns. In fact, having a gun around adds risk, including increasing suicide risk 4x for young people with guns at home. By creating a collective public photo collage, this activity invites you to think about what safety looks like for you and tackle gun violence by sharing the facts.

SNUG Convos

Get creative and start the convo around guns, safety, and the importance of community! In this hands-on activity, you’ll make your own fleece tie blanket while talking about what it really means to feel safe, supported, and seen. As you tie each knot, you’ll explore Project Unloaded’s SNUG—Safer Not Using Guns—message and create a patch with words or art that reflect your idea of safety. 

We Choose Us

What does safety mean to you? In this simple but powerful activity, you’ll create a community display of cards that reflect on prompts like: What makes you feel safe? How do you support friends in hard times? Think of it as a shared visual pledge to live safely without guns! Then, you’ll create handmade orange ribbons to hand out to participants as a wearable reminder to live safely without guns.

Download the full activity guide

Organizations we <3

We work with partners across the country to spread the word that our mental health journeys are safer without guns around. If you’d like to partner with us to spread the word or to bring our programming to your community, reach out!

Download the Toolkit

Access easy, ready-to-use activities to spark change where you are.

Download the Toolkit

Access easy, ready-to-use activities to spark change where you are.

Download the Toolkit

Access easy, ready-to-use activities to spark change where you are.

Download the Toolkit

Access easy, ready-to-use activities to spark change where you are.

Download the Toolkit

Access easy, ready-to-use activities to spark change where you are.

Download the Toolkit

Access easy, ready-to-use activities to spark change where you are.