Matthew Unrein Memorial Foundation

Hello, my name is Tamela Unrein. My husband, Darin, and I live in Mt. Angel, Oregon, where we raised three children. In July 2017, we experienced every parent’s worst nightmare—that knock on the door letting us know that our oldest son, Matt, had died by suicide. Matt was 27 years old when he passed. Matt was funny, smart, kind, and had a servant’s heart.

Matt had suicidal idealization, which we knew nothing about. We have a family business in Salem, OR, where his grandfather, uncles, cousins, and I all worked together. I saw Matt every day; how did I not know he had suicidal tendencies? I’m his mom; shouldn’t I have known this?

As you can imagine, his death rocked our entire world! To help our family cope with such a devastating loss, in 2018 we created the Matthew Unrein Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for suicide prevention and education.

Each summer, we hold a fundraiser which includes having a group motorcycle ride and an auction. 100% of our proceeds are donated to various local non-profit organizations that specialize in suicide prevention and education. To date, we’ve been able to donate $198,500 (and counting!) to suicide prevention and education!

In addition to raising and donating money, I personally reach out to middle schools, high schools, and colleges, offering speaking engagements to share my story as a suicide survivor. Together, we show that suicide does not discriminate.

Our goal as a foundation is to eliminate suicide, it’s stigma, and give hope to individuals, communities, and families affected by suicide.