By Angie Fitton

Each year over 700,000 people lose their lives to suicide and one in five people have admitted to having suicidal thoughts. National Suicide Prevention Week is September 8th through 14th and there are a lot of great causes dedicated to helping to prevent suicide.

If you ever feel like you are in crisis and need someone to talk to immediately, please utilize the Suicide Prevention Hotline 988; you can call or text and they are available all day every day. 988 is a nationwide hotline. You can also text “TALK” to 741741 to reach a counselor.

SAFE Coalition is based out of Franklin, MA. It is a nonprofit that helps to educate and support those who suffer from mental health and addiction concerns, and they want people to know that they are not alone, even if they feel like they are. They hold a Coffee House every Friday, and anyone is welcome to go for “coffee and conversation.” These coffee houses are from 8 a.m. in the morning until noon and are located at 31 Hayward Street, Suite 2C in Franklin. Saturday mornings from 8:30 am to 10:00 am Michelle Palladini hosts “Trauma-Informed Yoga,” and these sessions will take place September through November, at the same location. 

Ben Speaks is another great advocate for mental health. Their vision statement is “Ben Speaks...creating a culture where youth and families have access to the resources and support they need to empower themselves.” They even have their own pledge; “I pledge allegiance to be myself and to be a stand for change! To take full responsibility for my thoughts, words, feelings and actions. To treat myself and all those around me with kindness and respect. To trust my gifts. To put my energy into growing myself fully. To be a voice for a world where all human beings are loved and accepted for who they are. One world under grace, indivisible with dignity and true justice for ALL.” Find the organization at www.benspeaks.org.

For 50 years, Samaritans of Massachusetts have been saying “We’re here for you” as they work towards preventing suicide and providing hope. Each year their volunteers and staff answer more than 90,000 calls, texts and chats on their helpline which is part of and can be reached by utilizing 988. On Saturday, September 28th, they are hosting their 26th annual 5k run/walk for suicide prevention. This will be taking place at Artesani Park in Brighton, MA. You can register or volunteer at www.samaritanshope.org. There you can also access all their resources including the 24/7 helpline, suicide prevention workshops and peer support for suicide loss survivors.

 The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is active in all 50 states, and they are at the forefront of suicide prevention. You can find more information on them at www.afsp.org, and if you need to reach them via email, the address is [email protected]. 

The Massachusetts Chapter of AFSP brings together people who want to prevent suicide in their communities. The chapter is comprised of families and friends who have lost someone to suicide, individuals who feel vulnerable, mental health professionals, clergy, educators, students and community or business leaders. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate the loss of life by suicide. One of the ways they do this is by hosting walks through “Out of the Darkness.” You can find out more about these walks at www.supporting.afsp.org, but in Massachusetts in the month of September there are walks on 09/07 (Pittsfield), 09/21 (Hingham), 09/22 (Natick), 09/28 (Worcester) and 09/29 (Newburyport)