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LOGAN — Some Cache County business owners are trying to give gun owners a safe space to store their weapons while struggling with mental health challenges.
The owners of Cache Coffee & More started doing this a couple of years ago after losing a friend to suicide and after another veteran friend asked them for help in storing their weapons.
"It's basically a community place. There's always people here," said Jamie Buttars, co-owner of Cache Coffee.
Buttars said it's a spot where people can come for help.
"We have put three or four guns in our safe in the last three months. That's people that want to help themselves, you know, get better, or they've helped a family member."
What started with one safe has now grown.
"Liberty Safes was kind enough to reach out to us and offer to help," Buttars said.
What started as a concern for veterans is now a service open to anyone. They can store their guns and, if they want, talk.
"So, if they need, we help them get therapists, or get into group classes, or have people for them to talk to," said Buttars.
And Buttars said the program is ready to grow exponentially. Attorneys and Liberty Safes are giving small businesses a pathway to do the same thing.
"We had people from all over the country reach out to us," he said.
The next business owner to take on that responsibility was Anita Putney.
"Definitely, I believe there's a need for it," she said. "You hear about it all the time, that someone has taken their life."
Buttars' old safe will go to Preece's Pretty Paws — on the north end of the county in Richmond.
"The town is small, and it's just, nobody's in the limelight. Like, it's just really easy, low-key. And if somebody is having a crisis or anything like that, it's not a bunch of people around that's going to judge," Putney said.
Putney, who is also a gun owner, said she wanted to take this on for one simple reason.
"We could save more people," Putney said.
The Buttars have Cache Coffee & More set up as a nonprofit community coalition.
Businesses that want to set up a safe will get help from their nonprofit and Liberty Safes to pay for the safe and set up the program.
Suicide prevention resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Crisis Hotlines
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- SafeUT Crisis Line: 833-372-3388
- 988 Suicide and Crisis LifeLine at 988
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- SafeUT: safeut.org
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Utah chapter: afsp.org/chapter/utah
