Tina Foster: Out of the Darkness

AFSP has set a goal to reduce the annual suicide rate by 20 percent by 2025. The Out of the Darkness Walk aims to raise awareness and funds that will help research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss.

AFSP also reaches out to the community through educational programs in three main areas aimed at different audiences. The high school program called More than Sad has three prongs. The first aims to train educators on the different kinds of mental illness and what it looks like. The second, aimed at students, focuses on mental health and gives kids help with ideal conflict resolution and ideal coping mechanisms. A parent program focuses on suicide prevention. When needed, AFSP can provide "post-vention" kits for schools in the wake of a suicide of a student. For college-aged participants, a program called It's Real involves an AFSP volunteer or mental health professional meeting with local college groups about mental health with discussion, a DVD viewing and a pizza party. A general program called Talk Saves Lives informs the public about the scope of suicide and provides information on warning signs and what to do in a crisis. All of these programs are provided free of charge.

The Salem walk on 10/13/2018 had 1500 walkers on 185 teams, of which our team had 46 registered walkers (of which probably 10 didn't show up but that was still a great team so THANK YOU!), which raised $65,000 (our team raised $1745.00) to date. I say that because AFSP will take donations that will count for these totals until the end of the year.

Prior to the walk, the organizers held an “honor bead” ceremony asking those of us in attendance to hold up the beads we had collected earlier in the morning. Each color was given its own moment of honor. Red represents the loss of a spouse or partner; white is for a child; gold is a parent; orange is a sibling; purple is a relative or friend; silver, first responder/military; green is for a personal struggle; blue is for supporting the cause; and teal for friends and family of someone who struggles. This ceremony was powerful and even now, almost a week later, I get goosebumps and it brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.

The Out of the Darkness walks are an important way to not only increase community awareness about suicide, but also to gather those affected by suicide. Many of the participants are family members or friends of victims, 10 to 20 percent are mental health practitioners and others are people with "lived experiences" who have made attempts at suicide themselves. It is my hope that walking with family and friends who knew Travis will bring more education to help lessen the stigma of suicide. We walked to raise money, to raise awareness, and to bring people together who have been affected by suicide. You don't have to raise money to participate. The purpose is to be a part of the group because suicide can be a very isolating experience. Unfortunately, most of the people who do participate have already lost someone to suicide. Many of the other people know someone who is struggling, or they are struggling themselves with mental health.

It's comforting to know that you're not walking alone, whether it be in remembrance of someone you lost, or maybe you struggle personally, just to see that group of people come together, we're all there to support the same cause. That is what is important, and it's comforting to know they're not alone in your loss, and you're not alone in your personal struggle. We were there to share our struggle as well as our support.

After the walk, as I was standing in the center of Capitol Park as the walkers were wandering around, I wondered how this event might affect the many there. Something that struck me was the kiddos who were there with their families taking part in an extraordinarily public way to change the conversation around suicide. Kids who were much younger than I when I first learned what suicide was. Kids who will grow up knowing it is okay to talk about suicide and mental health, and know they are problems to be faced, not feared. I hope that we can learn to listen without judgment. Listen without waiting to talk. Listen without fear. It is a monumental request to make of even our closet friends and family, but it can start so simply. Take time to be with them. If they need to, they will talk, then all you have to do is listen.

There are times in life where the words, “Thank you,” are so insufficient in their ability to convey the level of gratitude you have for someone or a group of people based on what they have done for you. Today is one of those days. I am truly touched by the amount of people who made last Saturday possible: those who prayed for this day, those who donated in my name to AFSP, those who donated in Travis' name, those who donated anonymously, and those who walked with me. The unbelievable amount of support that each of you have shared during this time with me my family has touched me