My 'Hotline for Farmers' Letter Today to Utah State House Majority Leader Mike Schultz:

 I hope this letter I wrote and sent today to Utah State House Majority Leader Mike Schultz can help to reduce the number of Utahn farmers who commit suicide:

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "John McMillan" <mcmillanj@att.net>

To: "Mike Schultz" <mikeschultz@le.utah.gov>, "Office of Gov. Spencer Cox" <govcomm@utah.gov>, "Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson 2021" <beckiepage@utah.gov>, "mballard@le.utah.gov" <mballard@le.utah.gov>, "Gay Lynn Bennion" <glbennion@le.utah.gov>, "Paul A. Cutler" <pcutler@le.utah.gov>, "Angela Romero" <angelaromero@le.utah.gov>, "utahdistrict02@gmail.com" <utahdistrict02@gmail.com>, "Internships" <internships@romney.senate.gov>, "Joel_wellum" <joel_wellum@lee.senate.gov>, "Mayor Wilson" <mayor@slco.org>, "County Council Member Bradshaw" <arbradshaw@slco.org>, "llstringham@slco.org" <llstringham@slco.org>, "suharrison@slco.org" <suharrison@slco.org>, "agriculture@utah.gov" <agriculture@utah.gov>, "Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall 2021" <mayor@slcgov.com>, "Salt Lake City (UT) City Council" <council.comments@slcgov.com>, "alex.cordova@usda.gov" <alex.cordova@usda.gov>, "collaborate@usda.gov" <collaborate@usda.gov>, "Utah Restaurant Association 2022" <info@utahrestaurantassociation.org>, "membership@utahretail.com" <membership@utahretail.com>, "wbrooks@le.utah.gov" <wbrooks@le.utah.gov>, "rshipp@le.utah.gov" <rshipp@le.utah.gov>, "bbolinder@le.utah.gov" <bbolinder@le.utah.gov>, "Joel Briscoe" <jbriscoe@le.utah.gov>, "Jplumb" <jplumb@le.utah.gov>, "scottchew@le.utah.gov" <scottchew@le.utah.gov>, "tjimenez@le.utah.gov" <tjimenez@le.utah.gov>, "mkohler@le.utah.gov" <mkohler@le.utah.gov>, "slund@le.utah.gov" <slund@le.utah.gov>, "Doug Owens" <dougowens@le.utah.gov>, "tpeterson@le.utah.gov" <tpeterson@le.utah.gov>, "csnider@le.utah.gov" <csnider@le.utah.gov>, "kstratton@le.utah.gov" <kstratton@le.utah.gov>, "christinewatkins@le.utah.gov" <christinewatkins@le.utah.gov>, "chart@le.utah.gov" <chart@le.utah.gov>, "Deseret News 2022" <dnweb@deseretnews.com>, "Utah Farm Bureau Federation 2022" <aubree.thomas@fbfs.com>, "National Farmers Union Legislative Director" <cgoule@nfudc.org>, "klindeman@vialink.org" <klindeman@vialink.org>, "jsweeney@sltrib.com" <jsweeney@sltrib.com>, "Utah State Univ Communications 2022" <ucom@usu.edu>, "Utah State University Provost 2022" <provost@usu.edu>, "Utah Public Radio 2022" <tom.williams@usu.edu>, "Fox News SLC 2022" <news@fox13now.com>, "Jennifer Gardiner" <jgardiner@abc4.com>, "nbauer@abc4.com" <nbauer@abc4.com>, "chad.atkinson" <chad.atkinson@slcgov.com>, "Adult Protective UT Supvr Chad Hansen" <cbhanse@utah.gov>, "bruce.ellis@psych.utah.edu" <bruce.ellis@psych.utah.edu>, "Monisha Pasupathi (she/hers)" <monisha.pasupathi@psych.utah.edu>, "bruce.ellis@psych.utah.edu" <bruce.ellis@psych.utah.edu>, "media@utahsafetycouncil.org" <media@utahsafetycouncil.org>, "communications@utahbar.org" <communications@utahbar.org>, "commerce@utah.gov" <commerce@utah.gov>, "University of Utah Student Newspaper 2022" <press@chronicle.utah.edu>, "Utah Press Assn Director Brian Allfrey 2022" <ballfrey@utahpress.com>, "mediarelations@weber.edu" <mediarelations@weber.edu>, "jyl.hall@utahtech.edu" <jyl.hall@utahtech.edu>, "Utahia Info" <info@utahia.org>, "Utah State Magazine 2022" <mageditor@usu.edu>, "State Farm" <info@statefarm.com>, "Uag" <uag@agutah.gov>, "Utah League of Cities and Towns 2022" <swood@ulct.org>, "Attorney General of Utah" <uag@utah.gov>

Sent: Thu, Feb 1, 2024 at 9:53 PM

Subject: Utah Not Served by AgriSafe's 'AgriStress' Helpline

February 1, 2024

https://www.agrisafe.org/agristress-helpline/

Dear Utah State House Majority Leader Mike Schultz,

I am grateful to you for kindly inviting me on November 27, 2023 (correction by me on date),  to send you additional letters about concerns of mine relating to Utah.

I was disappointed to learn today that farmers in Utah  are not currently served by the 24-hour-a-day and year-round "AgriStress" Helpline and Hotline. That life-saving  hotline is specifically tailored to meet the needs of farmers and their families, and  is provided by the Iowa-based  nonprofit group "AgriSafe".

 That helpline and hotline's toll-free telephone number is 1-833-897-2474.

The  "AgriStress" Helpline phone service is the only 24-hour-a-day year-round telephone emotional support and counseling and referral helpline or hotline service specifically for farmers that I was able to find today through online research.

Eligibility for obtaining emotional support or counseling or referral   assistance from that helpline and hotline service is currently limited to  farmers, agricultural workers,  ranchers, and family members of theirs who each reside  in either  Wyoming, Oregon, Washington State, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Texas, Virginia, or Connecticut, according to "AgriStress" hotline staff members  Jada and Christie.

The online home page for the AgriSafe website is:

https://www.agrisafe.org/

State House Majority Leader Schultz, I am very hopeful that the Utah State House under your fine leadership will provide any funding needed toward adding any and all farmers in Utah and their family members in Utah----as well as any and all agricultural workers or ranchers  in Utah and their relatives in Utah---- to the list of persons who qualify as soon as possible  for that free 24-hour-a-day year-round counseling, emotional support, and referral  service thorough this invaluable nationwide  "AgriStress" Helpline and Hotline.

The Crisis Contract Coordinator for the "AgriStress" Helpline and Hotline is Kira Lindeman, her  e-mail address "klindeman@vialink.org", according to Christie, a staff member for the helpline and hotline.

House Majority Leader Schultz, I hope this brainstorming letter is helpful to you, your colleagues in the House, and our state's farmers.

Sincerely and Best Wishes,

John Kevin McMillan, 535 South 200 East, Apt. 912, Ninth Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

I am a grandson of Iowa farmer Russell Gardner of Johnson County, Iowa, and Murray (UT) butcher shop owner Parley Neal McMillan of Murray.

My cell phone: (512) 993-7305.

My home phone: (801) 355-0850.