Students at Loyola Marymount University are discovering new ways to transform service into activism through Agape, a mental health-focused service organization started in 2017 by Meghanne Clark. The group aims to fight stereotypes surrounding mental health, support suicide-preventing initiatives, and establish safe spaces for students and community members both on and off campus.
Named after the Greek word for “selfless love,” Agapé is a service-oriented organization that focuses on educational programs, outreach, and mental health awareness. The organization promotes advocacy campaigns, charity initiatives, and events to benefit the local people of Los Angeles as well as the LMU community. Through collaborations, public gatherings, and volunteer opportunities, the organization keeps growing its influence while developing a strong sense of identity and belonging among its members.
Agapé has partnered with the AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), in which members take part in advocacy campaigns and awareness walks throughout Los Angeles. Mostly held in the Santa Monica Pier, the mental impact of these events was explained by Vice President Lizzie Baronowski, a sophomore Psychology major in her third semester at Agapé. “It gives people who have lost someone to suicide a platform, a space to share those emotions,” she said.
Agapé tables at LMU’s Wellness Wenesday where members give out flyers with QR codes for these suicide prevention walks. Members frequently ask students directly, “Do you want to go on a walk to save a life?”
Outside of campus, Agapé members actively promote mental health awareness by walking with posters, handing out resources, and having candid conversations about mental illness in public places like the Santa Monica Pier. The organization hopes to host its third annual awareness walk this April, continuing efforts to “break the stigma,” as Baronowski emphasized. For many members, these public encounters mark significant turning points that convert service into active community involvement.
Additionally, Agapé promotes community-based and therapeutic initiatives, such as collaborations with Dream Catcher of Los Angeles Therapeutic Riding Center, which offers equine therapy to veterans, adults, and children with emotional, physical, and cognitive impairments. Members serve at camps where therapeutic horseback riding aids in the development of participants self-esteem, emotional control, and physical stamina. Agapé members also pack food and clothing for distribution in local communities while volunteering at produce centers that assist low-income families and those experiencing homelessness.
Rachael Morales, a sophomore Psychology major who is also enrolled in Agapés third semester, said the group immediately caught her attention. Because of the community they have established, “Agapé was my first choice, just from the community they have built,” she said. Agapé is often described by members as ‘a support system’ rather than just a service organization.
“A lot of times when you join a club, nobody notices you entered,” Baronowski said. “But with Agapé, as soon as I walked in I felt such a welcoming energy.”
By working with campus partners like Crimson Circle and Student Psychological Services, Agapé expands its reach even further. Agapé provides both in-person and virtual mental health support, including text-based resources for students who need assistance.Agapés aim remains constant as it grows, strengthens the community, promotes mental health, and serves as a reminder that no one has to endure hardships alone.
