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MARCH 2006
FROM THE DESK OF THE SUSAN CONLIN OPHEIM
It’s been another busy and exciting year for HOPES. I hope you know that it
is through your efforts and your encouragement that we continue to collaborate
with other agencies and make sure that the voices of survivors are heard. We do
have a voice and we need to make sure that it is heard. Many people are in
denial about this subject and you and I know that it is a reality. We can make
a difference and I say that if all of our efforts save just one person it is
worth it. We know the value of life.
I am so excited about our Walk for Awareness May 6th. We are moving back to
the Capitol area where we can walk near the lake and beautiful Monona Terrace.
Olin Park is centrally located on Lake Monona and easily accessible off John
Nolen Drive just past the Alliant Energy Center. As you arrive and get
registered you will be serenaded by a band. The quilts will be on display. The
prizes are looking better than ever with an overnight stay from the Great Wolf
Lodge, the Lighthouse from Don’s Oak, the bicycles from Pacific Cycle just to
name a few. And Lunch is Back!!!!!!!!!!!! We have prided ourselves on having
an opportunity to be together for a time so people can feel a sense of
community. This year the fabulous Walk Committee has figured out all the
details and the permits so we can have lunch together.
We are looking forward to seeing all of you again and dream of having all
the people that have joined us in the past and new people joining us for a
record breaking turnout. So when you finish this newsletter take time to
register today and make a few copies of the poster and post them at your work,
church and local grocery store. A survivor may make their first contact with
our group from your efforts!
Susan Conlin Opheim
A Report on the 2005 HOPES Walk
for Awareness
The 7th annual HOPES Walk for Awareness was held on May 14th,
a sunny and cool Saturday. This year’s walk had been a challenge to organize.
St. Raphael’s Cathedral home to the previous walks had been destroyed by fire. A
new site was needed and needed quickly. The people we contacted about our walk
were very concerned and helpful but we were either too large a group or there
facilities were already booked. Luckily, the Madison Park’s Department had the
morning of May 14th open at the Warner Park Shelter. They helped us
get the paperwork filled out correctly and in on time so that we could obtain
our permit. The shelter is large and open. The location next to a lagoon is
beautiful. The walk took us around the park – past scenic Lake Mendota at
Warner Beach and back to the shelter. The bright yellow t-shirts coming through
the vibrant green trees was a really an awesome sight! We had water, coffee,
orange slices and snacks for refreshments. The door prizes were given out,
always a fun part of the event. People talked and shared their experiences. The
survivor’s quilts were on display and information on suicide prevention was
available.
Thank you to those of you who joined us to walk. Thank you for your
contributions and fund raising efforts. The money raised this year will allow
HOPES to continue our mission of suicide prevention through the coming year.
Planning for next year’s walk begins in October. We are looking forward to
seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the HOPES Walk for Awareness in May
of 2006.
Susan Howell, Board member for HOPES
HOPES Walk by Aaron LaVoy
Every year I look forward to the H.O.P.E.S. -
Walk for Awareness. I lost my uncle Mark to suicide over four years ago. As is
the case with so many others, I never got to say goodbye.
I never knew that he was battling depression and
because of that I never had the chance to help. I’ve sometimes wondered “what
if.” What if I would have run into him the day before…could I have helped? Would
I have recognized the warning signs? The truth is--no. Unfortunately, this is a
reality for most of us--we didn’t learn anything about suicide until it was too
late.
I decided that this year for the walk I wanted to
do everything possible to raise awareness about H.O.P.E.S. I brought the
donation form into work and wrote an email to my entire company about how I was
looking for donations to raise awareness about depression and suicide. At first
I wasn’t sure if I should send it, but I’m glad I did. The response was
overwhelming. Not only did I receive a number of donations but people also
wanted to talk about it. Many of those same people wanted to know how to join
the walk in upcoming years. I even had one person ask for the web site because
they have a loved one they were concerned about and wanted an outlet for help.
They didn’t know what to do and had no clue that there was help available for
them. That gave me a feeling that was indescribable because I may have helped
someone by writing one simple email. I may have helped save someone’s life
because that family was now aware of what I didn’t know four years ago.
After the amazing response I received at work, I
decided to raise awareness with my friends as well. I set up a fundraiser in
Madison where all of the donations would go directly to H.O.P.E.S. I asked a
local band to perform for free at an area establishment and they eagerly
accepted. Admission was free and we included open bar and live music. We simply
left a donation box out for the public. Over 250 people showed up and had a
great night of dancing and good conversation. Plus, everyone that attended was
informed about H.O.P.E.S and how special and critical it is to so many people.
None of this would happen without H.O.P.E.S
raising money through events like the walk. Moreover, through these events, they
are able to get the word out about H.O.P.E.S., which is priceless. The money
the organization receives is used to pay for travel expenses and literature that
is distributed to cities throughout the state detailing ways to prevent suicide
in the community. H.O.P.E.S was the first thing that helped me deal with Mark’s
death. Raising money to support a group that might save one family from
experiencing a suicide is reason enough for me to raise money and continue
dialoguing about H.O.P.E.S. for the rest of my life.
Aaron LaVoy
Spreading the word via
Billboards
We received a generous grant from the Charles E.Kubly Foundation for
$15,000.00 to post billboards and distribute radio PSA’s throughout the State of
Wisconsin. They will have the face of a white male and a heart beat. They will
say, “Prevent suicide. Treat Depression. See your Doctor.” The Charles E.
Kubly Foundation whose mission is to improve the lives of those affected by
depression was started by the family of Charlie Kubly who took his own life at
the age of 28 after a long and gallant battle against the disease of
depression. They host a wonderful event called “Beyond the Blues” which will
be at the Milwaukee Zoo on September 16, 2006. For ticket information and more
information about this foundation go to www.charlesekublyfoundation.org
You can see the billboards on our website at
www.hopes-wi.org and where they will be located as that information becomes
available. The campaign was developed by SAVE of MN and Infusion Inc, the
public relations firm from Green Bay that assists us with our suicide prevention
work in WI.
Survivor’s Guide
We are proud to announce the second printing of our “Survivor’s Guide”. It
is a collection of information that we have found helpful to us as we have moved
through this journey of grief after suicide. We have it on our website under
“Survivor Guide” at the top of the home page. We wanted to have hard copies that
we could use at support groups, with coroners, funeral directors, clergy and
when we attend conferences.
WI Suicide Prevention
Initiative
We continue to work with our partners that have come together with the State
of Wisconsin to form the Suicide Prevention Initiative workgroup (SPI). I
attended a conference with 10 other representatives sponsored by the SPRC
(Suicide Prevention Resource Center) in May in Pittsburgh. It was an
opportunity to learn, to collaborate with other WI partners and to begin to set
priorities so that we could all work collectively towards the same goals. We
wrote (mostly Shel Gross from the MHA in Milwaukee County doing the writing) 3
grants this year. One was for the Garrett Lee Smith Grant that we have
encouraged our Senators and Representatives to vote for with our advocacy
letters you have all signed. We did not get the grant this time but UW Oshkosh
did get one of the grants. We are awaiting news from the Wisconsin Partnership
for a Health Future Grant from the Medical College of Milwaukee on a grant that
would allow us to build some infrastructure into suicide prevention in WI.
HOPES Hosts a Strategic
Planning Event
On July 28th HOPES hosted a strategic planning event in
collaboration with the WI SPI group in Verona at St. James Church. We had over
45 people representing government, mental health, tribal organizations,
non-profit organizations, police personnel, coroner, school personnel and
survivors. The purpose of this meeting was to bring all of these people
together to: 1) create a stronger community of those interested in being part of
the suicide prevention initiative; 2) increase awareness about this effort; and
begin to develop specific steps to move suicide prevention forward in
Wisconsin.
HOPES hired Carol Roth as our facilitator. Susan Howell, Jill Collins, Mary
Binkley, Tina Werres, Susan Opheim, Mary Doemel and Mary Van Haute were there as
our, “survivor voices.” Marcia Nechtvatal volunteered to serve our lunch and
breaks which made it possible for everyone to participate in the program.
Committees have been formed and we are still working on the project.
Conferences
In August we had a display and quilts at the State Prevention Conference in
WI Rapids.
In September Tina Werres, Sara Leikness Susan Opheim and Mary Doemel
attended the 9th Annual Crisis Conference in Madison and helped with
the information and the quilt display.
Mary Moldenhauer and Susan Opheim attended State of WI Mental Health and
Substance Abuse conference in Eau Claire in October and displayed our quilts and
our information.
Pat Derer, Susan Opheim and Carmen Cerna from the Grassroots Empowerment
Project attended the very first Suicide Attempters conference in Memphis,
Tennessee. We went to get ideas how we can include survivors at attempts in our
organization.
Washington D.C.
Jill Collins of Waukesha, Mary Doemel of Green Bay, Don Merz of Oshkosh,
Denise Pazur editor of Advancing Suicide Prevention Magazine (www.advancingsp.com)
Sheboygan, Adel Levy and Susan Opheim of Madison attended the SPANUSA’s National
Awareness Event. It is a great opportunity to network with other advocates
around the country. We learn what is happening in suicide prevention through the
training provided. We also meet with our WI Senators and Representatives and
remind them that suicide prevention and mental health are important issues that
their constituents care about.
To learn more about our trip and to see what the issues are go to the SPAN
website
www.spanusa.org.
I also encourage you to join SPAN so when they go to “The Hill” they will be
representing a large group of constituents. This is a way to have your voice
heard also.
National Survivors Suicide Day
November 19, 2005
The following sites hosted Survivor days in
their communities with the support of the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention which hosted over 100 sites around the country:
In Wisconsin we had:
Madison - Pat Derer, Mary Moldenhauer,
Susan Howell, Dennis Gates, Sara Leikness and Jill Collins collaborated with the
Mental Health Center of Dane County at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Green Bay – Mary Doemel hosted their
event at Bellin Hospital and Jeri Montour from Shawano was their survivor
speaker.
Sturgeon Bay - hosted their event at a
later date and Mary Doemel was their survivor speaker.
Rhinelander – Tina Werres and Susan
Mackowski from Northwoods HOPES Support group and Sacred Heart Hospital hosted
their event with Susan Ophem as a survivor speaker.
Events included introductions, the panel
presentation of survivors from AFSP, a local survivor speaker, lunch and
discussion. National Survivor of Suicide Day is November 18, 2006. We
are working with the Mental Health Association to have a site in Milwaukee this
year.
Dates to remember
April 28-May 1, 2006 American Association of Suicide Conference – Science
and Practice in Suicidology: Promoting Collaboration, Integration and
Understanding of Suicide. Seattle, WA
April 29, 2006 AAS Healing after Suicide Conference, In the Spirit of
Hope. Seattle WA
May 6, 2006 Walk for Awareness of Depression and Suicide. Olin Park,
Madison, WI.
AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk
www.afsp.org
July 22-23 San Francisco, CA
August 12-13 Chicago, IL
National Suicide Prevention Week September 10-17, 2006
Details for WI soon to come on our website
www.hopes-wi.org.
SPAN National Awareness Event September 7-9, 2006. Washington, DC
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