MIAMI, FLA- On National GivingTuesday, Brightline, the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail in America, presented 211 with a donation of $43,000 to be distributed across the organization’s Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach/Treasure Coast chapters. The donation was  presented to 211 by Brightline’s President Patrick Goddard at the Fort Lauderdale Brightline station. Through their collaborative partnership, Brightline and 211 aim to continue to work together on activations providing resources for mental health awareness. 

 

211 is a free, anonymous, and confidential service that offers listening support, suicide prevention, and connections to mental health in addition to a variety of other services that are available to help residents in the community. This generous donation will directly support 211’s 24/7 information, referral and crisis helpline. 

 

“We want to work together to bring awareness in South Florida to the importance of mental health and the resources that exist in our community,” said Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline. “Brightline and 211 have created a strong bond and our team recognizes 211 as a leading voice on mental health and a resolute advocate for anyone who may be facing a challenging time.”

 

Brightline and 211 work closely to bring attention to mental health wellness by providing resources for counseling during Buzz Boxx activations and other community events, such as homeless outreach. Buzz Boxx is an out-of-the-box campaign created by Brightline to engage with residents in communities along its train corridor to promote rail safety and mental health awareness through a mobile barbershop experience. To date, Brightline and Buzz Boxx have done over 70 activations throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, including partnering with 211 and the Broward County Sheriff’s organizations.

 

“There is value in partnering with Brightline as they understand the importance of mental health in our community,” said Richard Shutes, Director of 211 Miami. “Brightline is dedicated to the suicide prevention response in South Florida and JCS’ 211 Miami is eager to continue to work with strong collaborators like them. These funds that have been graciously provided to our 211 will make a direct impact in offering 24/7 support to anyone that is in need of free over the phone crisis counseling and connection to valuable free/low cost resources throughout Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.”

 

“211 Broward is grateful to Brightline for selecting to support South Florida’s 211 crisis helplines by donating its proceeds from its first week of service,” shared Sheila Smith, President/CEO of 211 Broward. “We appreciate Brightline’s commitment to supporting mental health and suicide prevention services and for its financial contribution. We value our partnership and look forward to working together in the years to come.”

 

"We are excited to once again be partnering with Brightline as the World gets back on track,” said Sharon L’Herrou, President & CEO of 211 of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast. “We are thankful for their increased efforts to promote mental health initiatives and their continued support of all we do at 211.  This generous donation will help to ensure that 211 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for crisis intervention, suicide prevention, connection to community resources and so much more.”

 

Education on safety along railroad crossings is one of Brightline’s top priorities. The company has partnered with several organizations to promote safety around railroad crossings through education, enforcement, engineering and technology including South Florida school districts and WAZE GPS to map all railroad crossings across the U.S. Brightline will also implement a $5.6 million CRISI grant adding safety infrastructure at 48 crossings between Miami and West Palm Beach. This year, the company was awarded the Operation Lifesaver (OLI) Rail Transit Safety Education Grant for $20,000 to continue its efforts to educate the public about rail safety through its award-winning Buzz Boxx campaign. 

 

Furthermore, Brightline is proactively taking steps to increase awareness around railroad safety by implementing law enforcement outreach, a red light camera pilot in North Miami, drone technology for trespassing prevention, has deployed safety ambassadors to high-trafficked crossings and installed VMS signs at rotating crossings, created tri-lingual materials and rail safety pledges, runs thousands of PSAs on radio and TV in English, Spanish and Creole, and installed more than 3,000 native plants and fencing in select areas in southern Palm Beach County to deter trespassing through the Community Greening project.

 

About Brightline 

 

Brightline is the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, high-speed rail service in America. The company currently operates between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in Florida and is scheduled to complete construction to the Orlando International Airport by the end of 2022. Brightline was recognized by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies in travel, offering a guest-first experience designed to reinvent train travel and take cars off the road. Brightline plans to bring its award-winning service to additional city pairs and congested corridors across the country that are too close to fly and too long to drive, with immediate plans to connect Las Vegas to Southern California. For more information, visit www.gobrightline.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.