He nearly took his life 13 years ago. Now he’s on a mission to help others.

IDAHO FALLS – David Roseberry wants to make the world a happier place one service project at a time.

It’s a mission that began more than 13 years ago after a tragedy in his own life and about two years ago, the Idaho Falls man launched a website aimed at inspiring others to join him.

Roseberry was in a dark place in November 2007. His divorce had been finalized just four months before, and since March, it had been a struggle just to get out of bed every day.

“I have to fix this,” Roseberry remembers telling his religious leader. “If I have enough faith and if I pray enough … then I can change her mind.”

He got in his truck and started driving to his ex-wife’s house in Ashton. Somewhere between St. Anthony and Ashton, the sun started going down, and Roseberry saw a rainless lightning storm with clouds covering the sky. The night seemed to reflect the despair and hopelessness he felt inside.

“I was bawling, and I was praying out loud, saying ‘God, you have to show me a sign, or I’m going to commit suicide tonight when I get home,'” Roseberry says, holding back tears. “As soon as I said that, all I saw was heads and fur.”

Four horses had run across the road, and Roseberry had hit them. As he came to a stop, there was massive damage to the front of his pickup and blood all over the hood with one horse lying on the front. There was no one else on the road and as he got out of his pickup, each horse was dead or dying.

“I hit four horses. Who hits four horses? I have four girls. That was my sign,” he says. “Four horses had to die for me to know these are the reasons I have to live.”

Shaken, Roseberry knew deep within he had to keep living. He had to hold on tight and rely on God for strength each day.

Something in his life needed to change, he thought.

About a week later, he posted an ad on Craigslist offering his handyman skills for free to anyone who needed help on a project. People started calling him the next day.

“Some people wanted me to do big remodel jobs. I just wanted to do something where I could go in and out, maybe a weekend at the longest. I had a job (as well),” says Roseberry.

Over the years, performing acts of service for people became a regular part of his routine. Fixing some doors and adjusting some faucets for an elderly widow is one experience that was particularly meaningful for him.

“She just needed someone to talk to. I did stuff, and she insisted on paying me. I said no, and she said, ‘Well, how about some cookies?’ I did take some cookies,” he says.

Roseberry also recalls helping an old man solder some pipes under a trailer house. Renting out the house was likely his only source of income, Roseberry says, and the man wasn’t able to make the repairs himself.

“When you do these things for people, they’re very appreciative,” says Roseberry. “Once you do something for someone … they have the burning that they have to help someone as well.”

With a new high and a new sense of purpose, Roseberry now felt compelled to start a movement. His experiences serving others had changed his life, and he wanted to inspire others to do the same.

In March 2019, he launched ProxyScore.com, a website designed to motivate people to serve. People can sign up for a membership and submit acts of service. Each act of service earns you points. Participants can earn discounts from vendors, Roseberry says, but more importantly, their efforts make them “better stewards and citizens of their community.”

“What I mostly want to do with it is curb suicide,” Roseberry says. “I want it to save lives.”

Looking at the data

From 1999 to 2018, the Centers for Disease Control reports the suicide rate nationwide increased 35%, from 10.5 per 100,000 to 14.2. Another report indicates rural areas are the most prevalent for suicides, with some of the highest rates in the Intermountain West.

“Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada — it’s called the suicide belt,” says Roseberry. “The Rocky Mountain area has the highest suicide rate per capita than anywhere in the nation.”

This trend affects people of all ages and races. Experts say it’s hard to pinpoint the cause to one particular thing because there are many contributing factors.

But regardless of the cause, there is evidence indicating service to others has a positive impact on mental health.

Researchers looked at the link between volunteering and health over a 20-year period, according to SuicideCallbackService.org. They determined volunteers “had a 22% lower mortality rate than non-volunteers and also had higher levels of self-esteem and happiness.”

Roseberry says he’s come a long way since that dark day in 2007, and he’s much happier than he used to be. He’s since remarried, and serving others has become his passion and his mission.

He says about 250 people have a Proxy Server membership since it launched nearly two years ago. Only about 12 people are actively doing service and he wants to change that. He’s hoping to increase interest and attract local businesses to his cause.

“I thought this thing was going to explode because of how much people are talking about it,” says Roseberry. “You kind of feel down when you sponsor something and talk to people, and they get really excited, (but) then you go for the follow-up and nothing happens. But I know it’s a good cause, and I still have the motivation to keep going.”

If you have a service project to submit or would like to get involved, click here.