Ana Jimenez-Nunez
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Who We Are
Our Mission
More than a listening ear.
A community of hope.
Out of Despair is a faith-inspired 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Shelton, Connecticut, dedicated to walking alongside children, youth, adults, and families facing emotional distress, isolation, grief, family conflict, and suicidal despair.
Founded in 2025, our organization was built on a simple conviction: no one should have to navigate life's darkest moments alone.
We offer compassionate mentorship, emotional and spiritual support, family guidance, and connections to professional resources. But our commitment goes beyond conversations.
We help individuals rediscover their interests, build meaningful relationships, develop healthier habits, and reconnect with their communities. Whether through a cooking class, creative arts, physical activities, nutritional guidance, or consistent one-on-one mentorship, we seek practical opportunities to help people rediscover purpose, belonging, and hope.
We also walk alongside families navigating separation, divorce, and other challenges, providing support to parents while helping children process difficult emotions in a safe, caring environment.
Our services are offered at no cost to those we serve, subject to available resources, and without discrimination based on religious beliefs. Prayer and spiritual support are available to those who welcome them.
Because compassion is more than something we feel. It's something we put into action.
What We Believe
We show up without judgment. Whatever you're carrying, you are welcome here exactly as you are.
Come as you are.
We build relationships and turn compassion into meaningful action.
We listen. We walk alongside. We act.
No individual walks alone, and neither do we. Our strength is the network of care we build together.
Healing was never meant to be done alone.
What Your Support Makes Possible
Compassion begins with listening, but it doesn't end there.
At Out of Despair, we believe that meaningful change often happens through small, intentional steps: a new friendship, a supportive mentor, a healthier routine, an opportunity to discover a talent, or a family finding its way back to understanding.
Our team works to understand the unique challenges, interests, and needs of each person we serve. Through personalized mentorship and practical assistance, we seek to create opportunities for connection, confidence, personal growth, and renewed hope.
Financial contributions help us provide and expand the following support, always at no cost to those receiving our services.
Your generosity helps make mentorship, enriching activities, professional guidance, family support, and meaningful community connections possible.
Together, we can help more people move beyond isolation, rediscover their interests, strengthen their relationships, and experience the hope that comes from knowing they matter.
Give TodayWhat Sets Us Apart
We don't just encourage connection.
We help make it happen.
When someone is overwhelmed by despair, even the simplest step forward can feel impossible.
Joining a class alone. Walking into a gym for the first time. Reaching out to a counselor. Trying to rebuild relationships. Finding something to look forward to.
At Out of Despair, we understand that encouragement is important, but sometimes people need someone willing to take those first steps alongside them.
That's where our mentors come in.
We take time to understand the person behind the struggle: their interests, fears, relationships, challenges, and hopes. Then, together, we identify meaningful opportunities to reconnect with life and community.
Sometimes that means helping someone enroll in a cooking class and having two mentors attend the first few sessions. Sometimes it means helping a parent navigate a painful separation while another two members of our team support their child. Other times, it means connecting someone to nutrition education, counseling, or a healthier daily routine.
We believe that lasting support is personal. It requires patience, intentionality, and genuine relationships.
Our work complements professional mental health and crisis services by offering ongoing, nonclinical mentorship and practical support.
We don't promise to solve every problem. We promise to approach every person with dignity, compassion, and a sincere commitment to helping them find their next step forward.
Because hope often begins when someone realizes they no longer have to face life alone.
How It Started
Out of Despair was born from a shared calling to serve people who are hurting, struggling, and searching for hope.
Long before our organization was formally established in 2025, the desire to comfort and support people facing life's most difficult circumstances was already deeply rooted in the hearts of those who would become its founders.
When a member of our community was lost to suicide, the urgency of that calling became even clearer.
A question remained:
What if someone had been there to offer support, connection, and encouragement before despair became unbearable?
Through prayer, a shared commitment to serving others, and a desire to put faith into action, Out of Despair was established by Ana Jimenez-Nunez, Irsia Jimenez, Iris Genao, and Gisell Peguero.
Together, we believe that every person is created with purpose, every life has immeasurable value, and compassion should move us beyond words and into meaningful action.
Our Christian faith is the foundation of our mission. We believe God calls us to love our neighbors, comfort those who are hurting, and serve others with humility and sincerity.
We welcome and serve individuals from all faith backgrounds, without making religious participation a condition of receiving support.
What began as a shared burden for those experiencing despair has grown into a mission of mentorship, family support, spiritual encouragement, and practical assistance.
We are not here to receive recognition. We are here to serve, and to invite others to help us extend that service to more people.
"Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
1 John 3:18 (NIV)
Every Dollar Is Presence
Out of Despair runs entirely on the generosity of people who believe no one should face their darkest moment alone.
The People Behind the Mission
A team united by one conviction: that hope is never out of reach, and that every life matters.
Founding Team
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
Co-Founder & Chief Financial Officer
Co-Founder & Vice President of Marketing
Board of Directors
Our board members serve without compensation — donating their time, expertise, and resources to guard and protect the heart of this mission. Their dedication is a blessing and a gift to everyone Out of Despair serves.
President / Chairperson
Treasurer
Secretary
Board Member / COO
We Are Here
Call or text — any time.
In immediate danger? Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 911.