By Donald White. When a bullied New York teenager committed suicide in August and left behind a note saying school administrators had done nothing to help him, Arlene Berkman understood. At a deep level.

The founder of Cornelius-based Respect Ability Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing bullying, said she’s seen children in similar situations far too often.

“We have noticed that in a lot of these young suicides there is very often an issue of mental health,” Berkman said. “It may be a minor one, but all it takes to push them over the edge is a real bullying incident.”

We lived through all the traumas the parents go through in these situations…I said to myself, ‘I can do something about this or stand by and watch it”

—Arlene Berkman, founder of the Respect Ability Foundation

The problem is personal for Berkman, too: She said her own son had been bullied by classmates in middle school. The lack of witnesses to the bullying incidents made it difficult for school administrators to discipline the students who were responsible.

“It was a small school district whose superintendent was very approachable but could not do anything since no one ever saw it happen,” Berkman said. “We changed schools and the problem was solved, but not everyone can do that. We lived through all the traumas the parents go through in these situations, and it left its scars.”

After her retirement in 2009, Berkman, who has a background in teaching, said hearing and reading about the ongoing problem of bullying in schools spurred her to take action.

“I said to myself, ‘I can do something about this or stand by and watch it,’” Berkman said. “I made the decision to do something.”

From that decision, the Respect Ability Foundation was born. The organization has been serving the greater Charlotte area for six years.

The foundation recently got a boost when it received two grants: $5,000 from the Peninsula Community Foundation and $1,000 from the North Mecklenburg Woman’s Club. In addition to promoting its core programming in the areas of bullying and conflict resolution, Respect Ability will use the grant money to add programs in leadership development and diversity training.

Blythe Elementary School in Huntersville will be the organization’s Select School for the 2016-17 academic year. The foundation will promote its anti-bullying message to Blythe students through puppetry, music and character education. It will also make training and workshops on bullying, cyberbullying and conflict resolution available to teachers.

Berkman said Respect Ability’s commitment to its mandate of making students and teachers feel a sense of belonging, safety and respect is as strong as ever. She said the security young people get from knowing they are safe in their environment can help prepare them to tackle all the challenges they will face in life.

“When people feel they can make a difference, they feel empowered!” Berkman said.