OUR MISSION
What We Do
Support → affirmations, encouragement
Education → harm reduction, mental health
Community → events, shared experiences
What you can expect from us:
Posts that share comforting & uplifting messages, informational content, & resources for those in need.
Create and share music festival & show harm reduction guides that include helpful information from the festival/venue’s website to help keep attendees safe & ensure the best times possible.
Hand out goodie bags with earplugs, sunscreen, trinkets, YNH stickers & cards, hand wipes, and Liquid I.V., and speak at various activation workshops.
Host pop-up events in the community to bring like-minded individuals together for wellness, community, and self-care.
Who it's for:This space is for the ones who feel deeply. Whether that shows up as anxiety in a crowded room, the come-down after a night that felt infinite, or the quiet weight you carry day to day.
It’s for people navigating mental health challenges, and for those who love someone who is. For the friends who stay up late listening, the ones who check in, and the ones who don’t always know what to say, but care anyway.
It’s especially for the music community; For the ravers, artists, and creators who find connection, release, and meaning on the dancefloor. The highs are real, but so are the lows, and both deserve to be talked about openly and without shame.
This is a space rooted in harm reduction, honesty, and compassion. No judgment, no perfection.. just real conversations, resources, and reminders that you’re not alone in any part of your experience.
If you’ve ever needed support, offered it, or simply want to understand more, then this is for you.
Community begins when we choose to care
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Community begins when we choose to care •
Who We Are
Hi, welcome and thank you so much for being here!
My name is Christi, and I thought of the idea for You’re Needed Here on my way to work in April 2023. My whole life I’ve been very passionate about mental health advocacy, awareness, and harm reduction. From the age of 5, I was exposed to severe mental illness in my family - and later grew up to experience symptoms myself. The idea behind You’re Needed Here, is that it spreads a message of love and light in the name itself.
In my adult career, I went on to graduate and become a Registered Nurse. In November 2022, I started working at a free clinic, which opened my eyes to the increasing amount of resources in place to help those in need. Because I had no knowledge of free clinics until I worked for one, I realized that most people are likely also unaware of their local resources.
Why the EDM community, you may ask?
In June 2018, I attended Bonnaroo - which was my first ever music festival and also my first time camping. As an oblivious 20-year-old, I was very unprepared to survive this festival with a sound mind and body. I had an anxiety attack on day 2, causing me to leave the festival altogether. Starting in 2022, I landed back in the festival scene when my childhood best friend Gabrielle, known as Zingara, started playing at these events. During this time, I realized there was a great need for mental health education, and I wanted to share my resources and message with the community.
I started You’re Needed Here to blend all of my passions while spreading love & light, educating and sharing resources, increasing harm reduction in the music scene, & creating a space for community to gather in the name of mental health. Fast forward to February 2024, I began posting on the You’re Needed Here Instagram page - with the help of my talented cousin & graphic designer, Kennedy.
Throughout the past few years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach workshops alongside Zingara at large festivals such as Electric Forest and Lost Lands. I have also had the opportunity to create harm reduction guides for artists’ shows such as: Zingara, Alleycvt, and Level Up. In 2026, I started hosting local pop-up events with the help of my good friend and yoga instructor, Quentin. At these events, we guide the community in releasing, relaxing, collaborating, and feeling whole.
Launching this website is a huge honor, and I am truly so grateful for your support over the years. Thank you to Kennedy, Quentin, Julianna, Gabrielle, Jake, Kyrin, Lily, Maria, My Mom/Dad, Glenn, and everyone else who has believed in me/helped behind the scenes. I couldn’t do this without the reinforcement that I am so lucky to have.
I hope that this message comforts you as it comforted me when I first thought of it,
YOU ARE NEEDED HERE
Love,
Christi
Kennedy
Hi! I’m Kennedy, the Graphic Designer for You’re Needed Here. I’ve been part of the EDM community since 2016, and from the very beginning, I fell in love with the sense of connection, acceptance, and support that makes this community so special. Whether it’s helping someone during a medical emergency, welcoming a stranger into a dance circle, or simply being there for one another, the EDM scene has shown me firsthand how powerful unity and compassion can be.
When my cousin Christi approached me with the idea of creating a brand that advocates for mental health awareness, social issues, and accessible resources for festivals and shows, I immediately knew I wanted to be part of it. The mission behind You’re Needed Here deeply resonates with me because it reflects the heart of the community I’ve grown up in over the years.
As a designer, I love being able to combine my creativity with my passion for music and community culture. Through my work, I hope to create designs that not only connect with people visually, but also inspire positivity, inclusivity, and meaningful conversations. Being part of You’re Needed Here allows me to express myself creatively while contributing to something bigger than myself- helping people feel seen, supported, and reminded that they truly are needed here.
Graphic Designer
Hey! my name is Quentin & I am so honored to be a part of You’re Needed Here as the Community Outreach & Event Coordinator! I always knew I wanted a career where I was able to help others, and because of that, I initially thought medical school was my path.
After graduating from undergrad, I moved home & began volunteering at a local free clinic, which is actually how I met Christi! While in this gap year, I signed up for yoga teacher training, initially just wanting to deepen my practice. This training completely shifted my perspective on what I wanted out of a career and over the course of this last year I have truly found my passion being that guide for others to reconnect with their most authentic self through movement, breath, and meditation.
I attended my first EDM festival back in 2018 and immediately fell in love with not only the music, but the authenticity, self expression, and true love for one another that radiates from this community. I am so honored to represent this brand and keep spreading this beautiful message, whether that be simply handing out YNH stickers in the crowd as a festival attendee myself, hosting workshops and events, or connecting others with resources <3
Community Outreach & Events