Free ribs, live bands, and a stand-up comedy set might not sound like the setting for a suicide prevention campaign, but that is exactly what organizers behind Building a Refuge built at Carmel VFW Post 10003. The nonprofit's 20th annual Rib Fest lands during National Suicide Prevention Month, offering free admission to what organizers call a celebration of life aimed squarely at men who might otherwise never ask for help.
The event traces back two decades to an informal backyard barbecue, long before Building a Refuge existed as a formal organization, according to Building a Refuge. The nonprofit itself was founded in 2018 by Brandon Leum and Erik Robinson, according to WIBC, which reports that Leum lost his brother Brent to suicide that same year and later lost his stepsister in 2022. Leum describes Building a Refuge as a men's mental health support group, though he is careful to note he is not a counselor or licensed therapist, per the same report.
Robinson's own path to co-founding the organization began with his survival of a 2010 suicide attempt following severe financial distress, according to Building a Refuge. That experience pushed him toward building peer-support networks for men in crisis, a mission that now anchors both the annual cookout and the organization's year-round programming.
A Day Built Around Ribs, Music, and No Obligations
Rib Fest opens with announcements and a kickoff at 12:45 p.m., following opening remarks from Tim Griffin and Jeremy Harrell between 12:35 and 12:40 p.m., per WIBC's rundown of the schedule. From there, the day unfolds as a rotation of live music and speakers: the Royal Keys perform from 1 to 2 p.m., Jason Hammer delivers a stand-up comedy set at 2 p.m., and the Circle City Deacons take the stage at 2:30 p.m.
Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen delivers the keynote address at 3:30 p.m., the same time a priority barbecue dinner line opens for active military members, veterans, first responders, and seniors, with general public food service following at 4 p.m. The dinner includes pulled pork, ribs, and mac and cheese. Music continues through the afternoon with the Bell-Bottom Cowboys at 4 p.m., the Naptown Hellcats at 5:30 p.m. alongside a documentary film preview presented by Lisa Dodson Hall, and a headlining set from Big in Belgium closing out the evening.
Indiana Congresswoman Victoria Spartz is scheduled to make a special guest appearance at 6:05 p.m. Attendees can also set up pop-up tents and chairs on open lawn space throughout the grounds at 12863 Old Meridian Street, with organizers emphasizing that the gathering carries no obligations or expectations — just food, music, and connection, with particular support extended to veterans and first responders.
Why the Casual Approach Matters
The low-pressure format is a deliberate strategy against a well-documented barrier: roughly 70% of men experiencing depression or anxiety avoid professional mental health care because of stigma and expectations of self-reliance, according to Kaiser Family Foundation statistics cited by WTHR. Building a Refuge is built to sidestep that resistance, offering peer support and community rather than clinical intervention, while organizers stress it does not replace traditional mental health services.
The stakes behind that mission are stark at the national level. Men accounted for 38,977 of the 48,824 suicide deaths recorded in the United States in 2024 — nearly 80% of the total — and died by suicide at a rate nearly four times higher than women, according to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention data drawn from the CDC.
Indiana's own numbers compound the urgency. The state recorded 1,175 suicide deaths in 2024, producing an age-adjusted mortality rate of 17.0 per 100,000 residents, well above the national average of 14.4, according to CDC data compiled by Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence. Indiana also ranked second among 30 surveyed states for high school students who created a suicide plan and third highest for those who contemplated suicide, per metrics compiled by the Peyton Riekhof Foundation for Youth Hope, underscoring a crisis that spans age groups across the region.
A Year-Round Presence Beyond the Cookout
Rib Fest is the most visible event on Building a Refuge's calendar, but the organization operates from local connection points throughout the year, including the BAR Coffee Club, which opened in July at 293 S. 8th Street in downtown Noblesville. The coffee house, run in partnership with local roaster Dry Heat Coffee, gives the nonprofit a daily space for informal mental health conversations along with monthly men's meetings, according to reporting from Current Publishing.
The group's reach has extended beyond Hamilton County before, including a fundraising concert held at 416 East Wabash Street in Indianapolis in November 2024 to support regional mental health outreach and reduce stigma, per WTHR. Building a Refuge is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity under tax ID 83-3446213 and is headquartered in Carmel, according to GuideStar.
For men who need support outside of scheduled events, Building a Refuge offers a direct line: texting the keyword Refuge to 494949 connects people with resources and peer contacts. Leum, who recently joined WIBC hosts Jerry and Alvey to discuss the event, has framed the organization's approach around addressing men's mental health through community connection, live music, and food — helping men overcome isolation through shared experiences rather than formal counseling sessions.
