Laughter With Purpose: Let's Support the Stop the Judgment Project

When women stand together with compassion instead of judgment, entire communities heal. – Beth Caldwell

Pittsburgh Professional Women is Supporting the Stop the Judgment Fundraiser on November 22

At Pittsburgh Professional Women, we often talk about courage, leadership, and creating change in our communities. This month, we have the opportunity to show up for one of our own.

PPW member Sherry Jo Matt, who joined our community almost a year ago, is the founder of the Stop the Judgment Project. Her organization was created in memory of her daughter, Siena, who died of fentanyl poisoning at the age of twenty-one. Siena was intelligent, empathic, and endlessly kind. Friends and family remember her as having a heart the size of the Grand Canyon, and she always showed up for friends who needed her. She also struggled deeply. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder at age twelve, she turned to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with overwhelming emotional pain.

Siena did not pursue inpatient treatment because she feared being judged by others. That fear is heartbreakingly common. Many people, especially women and young adults, avoid seeking help because of the stigma attached to substance use disorders and mental health disorders. For Siena, that stigma had tragic consequences. Percocet pills, taken to numb her pain, were unknowingly laced with fentanyl. She died in her family home on September 14, 2020.

In the midst of unimaginable grief, Sherry Jo and her husband, Tom Bott, chose to transform their grief into purpose. They founded the Stop the Judgment Project to normalize conversations around mental health and substance use, to remove shame, and to educate parents, students, and communities. As Sherry Jo says, no parent imagines their child will struggle with mental health or substance use disorders. But this is the reality in many families, and silence only makes the struggle more painful.

Today, the Stop the Judgment Project brings candid, honest, and life-saving education into schools across Western Pennsylvania. I personally love that method because teaching our children is the best way to ensure change for our future. Their workshops teach empathy instead of judgment and help students, teachers, and families learn how to respond to mental health and substance use disorders. This is important work, and it deserves the support of our community.

On Saturday, November 22, we have an opportunity to do exactly that. I will be attending the fundraiser and would love to see you there!

Stand Up Against Stigma

Comedy and Magic with Murray Sawchuck

Steamfitters Event Center | 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm | Harmony, PA

I love the idea of laughing to raise money. This special fundraiser features Las Vegas magician and comedian Murray Sawchuck, known for his signature blend of humor and illusion. He has appeared on America’s Got Talent and Masters of Illusion.

Every dollar raised helps expand the educational programs that Stop the Judgment Project brings into schools across Western Pennsylvania, giving students, parents, and educators the tools to respond to mental health and substance use challenges with compassion instead of judgment.

Our community is filled with women who care deeply about making a difference. Showing up for this event is one simple but powerful way to do that. I will be attending, and I would love to see you there too.

As long as seats are available, PPW members and friends can use the discount code save25 for a special rate.

You can reserve your seat or learn more here:

https://stopthejudgment.org/events/2025-stand-up-against-stigma/

I can’t think of a better way to begin healing than through laughter, especially when it’s paired with purpose.

Let's help Sharry Jo remove shame and replace it with understanding.

We can help her make sure other families never have to experience the pain and loss she's faced.

I hope you will join me there. Let's laugh and make a difference together.

Beth Caldwell

Founder

Pittsburgh Professional Women