September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. We are grateful to have this month set aside to recognize the important work we do. The past 18 months have been filled with the challenges brought to us by the Covid-19 pandemic, yet we have been able to hold virtual trainings and events, work with partners both old and new, and find our way in the new landscape. This month we held our first in-person safeTALK training since March of 2020! It was exciting to be back teaching face-to-face, even though our faces were masked, we sat at a distance from one another, the snacks were individually packaged, and the class was smaller–you get the idea. Our month has been filled with events and trainings, including the 6th annual Shatter the Silence Teen Event at the Air & Space Center in Hampton where SMPF delivered a program for older teens and adults. It’s one of my favorite events that we’ve been involved in over the years, and 89 people attended to hear positive messages from other teens, enjoy great food, and be entertained while learning about preventing youth suicide. Working in partnership with other non-profits and the Region 5 Community Service Boards is the key to this amazing night, and we are happy to have them with us in the mental health space.
School started this month, and we have been going out to school events already to provide resources. The pandemic has many people talking about mental health and looking for the programs we provide free of charge. We’ve also been to both Girl Scout and Boy Scout events, a bike ride, and we are headed to a walk and a 5K this weekend. Definitely hoping for good weather on Saturday! Finally, we have online programs coming up, and we’ve been training more volunteers to help keep up with all of the activities we are involved in this fall.
I hope that you will be inspired to learn how you can be part of preventing suicide in your community. Take a class so that you know how to recognize the warning signs for suicide and have that conversation that might save someone’s life. It sounds hard, but it’s really about caring. We can teach you the rest! Just sign up on our Events & Registration tab. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram to be in the know about what’s coming up and to read good mental health tips. Consider becoming one of our volunteers, too. You can make a difference by doing any or all of these things this month or any month because we are busy preventing suicide all year!
