TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — While Troy University is reminding students of the different counseling options it offers for suicide prevention awareness month, one Greek organization remembers and carries on the legacy of a brother.
In December of 2023, FarmHouse brother Matthew Awbrey died by suicide. Almost three years later, Farmhouse continues to honor him with a scholarship and philanthropy work for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, or the AFSP. For one member, these fundraisers hold a special meaning.
“My older brother Matthew Aubrey passed away by suicide in December of 2023,” said Wade Awbrey, the brother of Matthew and the assistant philanthropy chair for Farmhouse. His big, who was the philanthropy chair at the time, got it changed to support us.
“I was still in high school, and he got it changed so that way we could support my brother and keep his life living on, and then also support people who struggle with the same things.”
LOOKING BACK: Scholarship will honor the memory of FarmHouse’s Matthew Awbrey
The years since Matthew’s death have done little to dull Wade’s memories of his brother.
“Everything I do, I think about my brother,” Wade Awbrey said. “I don’t think there’s a moment of the day where I’m not thinking about my brother.
“Whether it’s funny moments, like he’s probably sitting there making fun of me right now, or sad things where he’s probably sitting there trying to pick me up without me knowing, it definitely grows you as a person; you learn to enjoy life more.”
In a month, Farmhouse will hold its fall philanthropy, FHilanthroCakes, which not only raises money for the AFSP but also brings everyone together.
“We get together as brotherhood and make breakfast for people,” said Farmhouse’s philanthropy chair Zachary Greiger. “It’s a good way to bring the community together.
“This year, we’ll be doing something different and doing it on Tailgate Terrace during the ULM football game. We raise money for that throughout the week, and we sell tickets for that, and all the money we raise through that, 100 percent of it goes to the American Foundation for suicide prevention.”
The AFSP provides resources to those considering suicide, support to those whose loved ones died by suicide, and offers what to do if you think someone is considering suicide. It also provides different ways to get involved in the organization and statistics about suicide.
Along with FHilanthrocakes, Farmhouse holds an annual crawfish boil in the spring, where it has raised over $70,000 for the AFSP.
