STOMP Out Bullying & Jets Donate Wellness Room to East Orange School

STOMP Out Bullying and the New York Jets, in partnership with The Defensive Line, inaugurated a new Wellness Room for East Orange Campus High School students. Students and staff, Ross Ellis, the CEO and founder of STOMP Out Bullying, Jesse Linder, VP of Community Relations, of the New York Jets, participated in the ribbon cutting. The Jets and their player Solomon Thomas, co-founder of the The Defensive Line along with STOMP Out Bullying donated $15,000 to support the initiative. The purpose of the STOMP Out Bullying Wellness Room is to provide a safe and supervised space for students who have been severely bullied or are dealing with mental health issues.

“Our Wellness Rooms create a haven for children with mental health and sensory issues, providing a space where they can escape, decompress, and simply chill out,” said Ellis. “We are excited to give this gift to the East Orange Campus High School students, and we hope they enjoy it.”

The room has sensory items like coloring books, squish balls, and vibrant-colored, comfortable furniture courtesy of School Outfitters, creating a supportive and relaxing environment for students to work through emotions and decompress.

“This Wellness Room will provide such an unbelievable opportunity for students to decompress and help them get through their day and be more productive members, not just of their school but of the community,” said Linder.

STOMP Out Bullying® is the leading national nonprofit dedicated to changing the culture for all students. It works to reduce and prevent bullying, cyberbullying, and other digital abuse, educates against homophobia, LGBTQ+ discrimination, racism, and hatred, and deters violence in schools, online, and in communities across the country. STOMP Out Bullying promotes civility, diversity, inclusion, equity, and equality. It teaches effective solutions on how to respond to all forms of bullying and educates kids and teens in school and online. It provides help for those in need and at risk of suicide. It raises awareness through school peer mentoring programs, public service announcements by noted celebrities, and social media campaigns.

About STOMP Out Bullying Wellness Rooms

STOMP Out Bullying has always been a strong advocate of mental health. We recognize Mental Health Awareness Month every May, but self-care is essential throughout the year. We have donated Wellness Rooms to schools from 5th to 12th grade to support this belief. These rooms provide a safe space for relaxation, stress relief, emotional regulation, and personal care. A Wellness Room is a comfortable lounge area with relaxing tools to help individuals feel grounded, reduce stress, and lend to personal needs. It is best visualized as a lounge equipped with relaxing tools and furniture to help ground and ease the stressful day.

New York Jets

We create impactful programing that leaves lasting legacies for our community. Initiatives funded by the New York Jets Foundation positively influence the lives of young people in the tri-state area and provide opportunity for disadvantaged communities.

The Defensive Line

Our Mission: To end the epidemic of youth suicide, especially for young people of color, by transforming the way we communicate and connect about mental health.