November 10, 2006

Support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

This was shared with me by my friend and fellow stamper Lisa Miller. Lisa lost her brother to suicide, so this cause is near and dear to her heart. You can view her blog "Runs with Scissors" HERE. You can donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention HERE.

On Saturday, Nov. 18, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will sponsor its eighth annual National Survivors of Suicide Day, reaching out to tens of thousands of people who have lost a loved one to suicide. The day of nationwide conferences will connect survivors through a satellite and Internet broadcast, allowing survivors to share their experiences of loss.

All local conferences will join in the broadcast (1-2:30 p.m. EST), which will offer emotional support to survivors and information about resources for healing. The broadcast will feature a panel of experienced survivors and mental health professionals, including AFSP Survivor Council Chair Mary Pat McMahon, AFSP Medical Director Dr. Paula J. Clayton and Dr. John R. Jordan, founder and director of the Family Loss Project.

This will also mark the third annual Out of the Darkness Community Fundraiser walk for the Greater Chicago/Illinois local chapter of the AFSP, finishing up the fall walk calendar of over 20 sites this season. The walk registration will be held at 8am at Brookfield Woods in Brookfield, IL, just west of the Zoo. You can sign up the day of the event or in advance at http://outofthedarkness.org for the Illinois site or email nostigmaa@yahoo.com for more information. Following the walk will be the Healing Conference at the Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, IL. Please register for the conference in advance, by sending an email to jhurtado@afsp.org for more info and a form. There is a $10 box lunch available and we'll have breakout sessions afterwards to talk about more healing and our experiences.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Sarah, for helping me to promote the walk and Survivor's Day! Hopefully as we band together against mental illness, we'll be able to prevent more loss of life!
Peace,
Lisa