American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Outreach helps Over 1 Million Illinoisans in 2012!

EVANSTON, IL – Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, AFSP’s Illinois chapter has already reached over 1 million people this year with its variety of suicide prevention resources as well as support programs for family and friends who lost a loved one. The organization hopes to raise both funds and suicide awareness with its upcoming Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Community Walk.

“I could not be prouder of the amazing work of the thousands of dedicated volunteers who make everything that AFSP Illinois does possible,” said April Jervis MBA, AFSP Illinois Area Director. “Their monumental efforts save lives. They aren’t afraid to talk about mental illness in the same way that most aren’t afraid to discuss a physical ailment. Their volunteerism in Illinois makes it a better place. I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside them. They are an inspiration!”

AFSP of Illinois’ latest fundraising effort is the annual Out of the Darkness Community Walk, which takes place in Libertyville on September 29, 2012. Volunteers walk for three miles to raise money for AFSP programs. Many also have personal reasons for participating. First year walker Heather Voight said, “I’m walking because I contemplated suicide in 2005. At the time, I felt so alone. I didn’t know that other people experienced depression or that it was a disease-I just thought I was weak. I want other people who are depressed to know there are people and resources available to help them, and that it’s O.K. to ask for help.” Please visit www.ChicagoWalk.org for more information about the walk.

Volunteer fundraising enables AFSP to promote suicide prevention in high schools and colleges. For example, More Than Sad is a program for high schools that educates youth and school personnel about depression and other disorders via a DVD featuring four teens seeking help for depression. The program also includes handouts for viewers, and a depression resource list for teens.

In addition to materials for suicide prevention, AFSP provides resources for friends and family who lost someone to suicide. Since someone in the world dies by suicide every 40 seconds, many people are left behind to try and understand what happened to their loved one. AFSP’s Survivor Outreach Program provides visits from trained local volunteers who help loved ones by listening to their stories and recommending information about suicide and survivor support groups.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. To find out more about the work of AFSP in Illinois, please visit www.AFSP.org/Illinois or call 312-890-AFSP that’s 312-890-2377.

Erika Barber, Walk Chairperson & Board Member on this Achievement 

“The realization that AFSP has reached out to over 1 million people in the state of Illinois is an amazing achievement. As a board member of the Illinois Chapter and a survivor of suicide, I feel so proud of my associatio n with this organization. The fact that AFSP has positively impacted so many people is validation that AFSP and this Illinois Chapter are vital to our communities. Without these resources, these numbers would represent a very different and very sad statistic.”