The 2023 Eastern Utah Women’s Conference was held on March 22 where Amanda McIntosh was presented with Eastern Utah’s Woman of the Year award. Castle Country Radio was able to sit down with her and Castle Country Pregnancy Resource Center’s Director, Nikki Jeffs to get all the details.

There were several nominations made to the Eastern Utah Woman of the Year but only one stood out to the committee and that was Amanda McIntosh. Castle Country Pregnancy Resource Center’s Director, Nikki Jeffs submitted the nomination for McIntosh. “As far as why I was so excited to have her nominated and really, I wanted to fight for it. Because one, yes, she’s is the face of the Suicide Prevention and everything she does for this community, bringing all the mental health to the forefront, trying to remove that stigma from people who are trying to seek help. Not just for that recognition, but also, she’s vulnerable. She shares the fact that she has been in that dark place herself, through her own experiences with her husband and how she sought help and had problems with that and she doesn’t want to see other people go through that,” stated Jeffs. This nomination is not only recognizing McIntosh but it also recognizes individuals who are suffering with mental health issues.

McIntosh wants nothing more than to help individuals in the Castle Country area.  “Of anything, I just hope that people understand that because I have been there, like Nikki said, and I advocate for it, I am very open to helping people find their way into healing and through their grief. I don’t do what I do in the community, as far as mental health, and suicide prevention and awareness, for the accolades. It’s not for the recognition, it’s not for people to recognize me or anything like that. It’s because I truly believe with a passion, that there is help for everybody who needs it,” stated McIntosh. She doesn’t want anyone to have to go through the tragedy of losing a loved one to suicide to feel that there is no help available. She hopes that she is able to share the message with the community that here is hope, there is help and local resources are available.

The 2023 Eastern Utah Woman of the Year wanted to thank her family for the honor, “For the last, almost nine years of losing Brian, I have had a tremendous support system within my family, you know my dad, my brothers, you know a Brian’s family even has been super supportive in everything I’m doing. If it weren’t for their support and their help in taking care of Abbigale and things like that, you know when I’m traveling for work or going and doing late night QPRs or whatever the case may be, I wouldn’t be able to do, what I do, so first and foremost is always by family,” stated McIntosh. She also voiced her appreciation towards her work family at Southeast Utah Health Department and to the community for accepting the message she shares quite often.

If you want more information on how to be a part of the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery and Grand Counties just contact them on Facebook.