Our Black Rose partners with Butler County agencies to provide post-suicide support
Butler County has entered a partnership with Our Black Rose, an Allegheny County nonprofit founded in 2023, to provide care packages and post-suicide support for families who have encountered the death of a family member by suicide.
“We hope no one needs this,” said Our Black Rose co-founder Kelleigh Boland. “But if they do, we’re grateful that they have the resource.”
The partnership was introduced at an event held at the Butler County coroner’s office on Friday, May 1, and was made possible by Michael Weleski, a Cranberry Township police patrol officer.
“About five months ago I reached out to Kelleigh. I had heard about this organization,” Weleski said. “I wanted to bring a resource to Butler so we could support the survivors of suicide loss and their care packages are absolutely phenomenal at providing that support and connection for those individuals.”
“Mike reached out to me because we were expanding police partnerships,” Boland said. “He then explained that he would prefer to go beyond just Cranberry and really expand it to the whole county.”
“I was tired of leaving scenes and not having something to give people, other than saying ‘I’m sorry,’” Weleski said.
According to Boland, the genesis of the organization came during a difficult period in her own life — the death of her brother, Pat, by suicide in June 2020.
“There’s very limited resources available ... A lot of the focus is on prevention, and rightfully so,” Boland said. “But for people who lose someone, there is a huge hole in our service delivery system. My dad and mom and my brother started talking about, ‘Why isn't there something?’”
A typical Our Black Rose care package — as was shown to Butler County stakeholders on Friday — contains items such as a directory of local mental health resources, a journal and pen for surviving loved ones to write their thoughts, a bracelet for suicide awareness and a packet of forget-me-not seeds.
Butler County families who receive one of the care packages will also be directed to local resources, such as the Butler County Bar Association, the Butler County Crisis Intervention Team and the Butler County Suicide Coalition. The Butler County coroner’s office will serve as the distribution hub for care packages.
The package itself is black and secured by a teal bow, with the contents kept in place by purple tissue paper. Teal and purple are the recognized colors of suicide prevention and awareness.
Even the name “Our Black Rose” carries significance.
“A black rose stands for beauty, even in a time of darkness,” Boland said.
Our Black Rose also has partnerships in place with several police departments in Allegheny County, as well as the Suicide Task Force of Indiana County and numerous funeral homes in Western Pennsylvania.
