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  • Monday.
  • The cafeteria is loud.
  • He eats lunch alone.

A hard week doesn’t have to turn into a crisis.

Which one sounds like you, or someone you love? This happens at every age.

His best friend moved away over the summer.

Nothing dramatic happened. That is how it starts. Here is how the next six months can go.

An illustrative story, based on situations people bring to MakeChoice.

Nobody offers a next step

One small choice, made early

Nobody offers a next stepHe eats alone again and tells himself it’s fine.
Week 1
One small choice, made earlyHe sits at a different table and joins one club.
Nobody offers a next step“I’m weird,” he decides, and stops trying.
Month 1
One small choice, made earlyHe texts his old friend and talks to the school counselor.
Nobody offers a next stepHis grades drop. His parents get frustrated.
Month 3
One small choice, made earlyHis parents listen without trying to fix it.
Nobody offers a next step“Everyone hates me.” The hopelessness grows.
Month 6
One small choice, made earlyLunch has company. Home feels lighter.
This is where most help finally begins: after the crisis.
Same boy. Same school. A different next step.

The difference was never talent or luck. It was a clear next step, offered while the problem was still small.

In the United States, over 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023. That is one person every 11 minutes.

Source: CDC, Suicide Data and Statistics

Behind many of those numbers is a moment when a different choice was still possible: walking away, asking for help, telling someone the truth. Most help starts after that moment has passed.

If you or someone you love is in crisis right now, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.

So we start earlier.

Before the grades drop. Before the argument. Before a hard week becomes a hard year.

What MakeChoice does

MakeChoice is a free website where anyone can look at a hard situation and see the choices that have worked for people like them.

  1. Say what’s going on

    Pick from 152 life issues, from loneliness and anxiety to job loss, family conflict and money stress. It’s private, with no ads and no ad tracking.

  2. See what has worked

    Each choice comes from a real person: their personality, the choice they made, and what happened next. There are over 500 so far.

  3. Take one small step

    Talk to someone, join one thing, ask one question. Free compatibility tools help families, friends and coworkers understand each other.

15,000+people use it each month
152life issues covered
500+real choices to learn from
$0to start, always

Try MakeChoice free

And help that happens in person

Good choices are easier with food on the table and someone who shows up. So the same nonprofit also runs programs in the community.

  • Food securityMonthly food distributions serving hundreds of families, weekly community meals and seasonal drives. Families eat this week.
  • Shelter supportVolunteers bring meals, clothing and hygiene supplies, and connect residents to tutoring and life skills.
  • Health and wellnessFree and reduced-cost dental care, addiction support and mental health advocacy.
  • Youth programs and mentorshipAfter-school tutoring, life skills, career counseling and mentors who stay.
Illustrated map of the MakeChoice Village, a park with six stops: visitor center, motivation center, skills center, choice huts, choice mirror and counseling

Next: the MakeChoice Village

A park where people learn to make better choices, before small problems become crises. No stigma, no waiting room. Counseling is on site or by telehealth.

See the Village plan
“I finally felt like I wasn’t alone figuring out my next step. Having clear choices changed how I show up for my family.”A MakeChoice participant, name withheld

A registered nonprofit

Changing Our Futures is a 501(c)(3), EIN 47-1878490, serving communities since 2014. See our GuideStar profile.

97% goes to programs

Nearly everything we receive goes to the tools and community programs above.

Free, with no strings

No ads, no credit card, and we never ask the people who use MakeChoice to pay.

Be the next step.

We understand how these stories unfold, so we can reach people when things start going the wrong way. A gift of any size keeps that help free for the next person, at any age.

Three friends with their arms around each other, looking out over a golden field at sunset
  • Keeps MakeChoice free and ad-free for everyone.
  • Supports food, shelter, health and youth programs.
  • Helps build the MakeChoice Village.

Choose your gift

Secure checkout with Stripe. Tax-deductible, with a receipt by email.

Prefer to give by check or another way? Write to admin@makechoice.org or call (925) 621-8636.

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