Voices of Samaritans
"The Value of a Smile"
Thank you, Mayor Menino!
"Mostly what I remember from every time I spent time with him was how much I laughed."
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Friday, March 15th
A special St. Patrick's Day
at Haymarket Station from 5:00pm to 6:00pm
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Wednesday, March 27th
Samaritans to receive Community Service Award
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The Red Sox will bring back
this season
Stay tuned for dates
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Tues/Wed, April 2nd-3rd
Samaritans facilitates the Face of Suicide Panel
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Monday, April 15th
Support our great team!
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Wednesday, May 8th
Sheraton Framingham
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Wednesday, May 15th
Marriott Copley Place
Saturday, September 28th
A great day to be alive!
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You make us smile!
Join our community of supporters.
Text ALIVE to 50555
to donate $10 to support Samaritans.
Message and data rates apply.
For terms: www.mGive.com/a |
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Samaritans
41 West St., 4th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
235 Walnut St. Framingham, MA 01702 |
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What is the value of a smile? We continue our year of Happier Boston at the same time that challenges and uncertainty remain within our communities. I am reminded about why we are doing this campaign when I talk to the individuals whose lives have been changed because of Samaritans. The smiles of Happier Boston are symbols of the hope that people need in order thrive, and sometimes just survive. In this Snapshot, you have the opportunity to hear many voices of Samaritans: those who have been helped, those who have been touched by suicide, and those who are trying to make a difference.
Our Happier Boston volunteers will be making a difference by bringing luck and a smile to a special St. Patrick's Day event on Friday evening at Haymarket Station. I hope you will join us between 5:00 and 6:00 to receive our wishes for a happy weekend. We feel that the greater Boston and Metrowest communities are lucky to have the resources offered by Samaritans, but it's not luck that makes these services possible, it's the financial support of people like you who care about the people we serve. If you are moved by the stories in this issue, please consider making a gift in support of these people and the services that support them - you can make a one time gift, or sign up for monthly gifts to help more people all year long.
Sincerely,
Roberta Hurtig
Executive Director |
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 After Samaritan 5K Team Captain, Sue Kelly, made this video for the 10 year anniversary of the loss of her brother, Greg, and in support of the 2012 5K, we wanted to tell more of her story to our community. We asked Sue to be in our video for the 2013 Hope Events. During the filming, she told us a story about her own battle with depression.
When Sue was a child, her  mother (a loving, and happy person who had no experience with depression as a young parent) didn't understand her, or her brother's, struggles. Sue tells of how her mother used to spin them in a circle three times, and then say, "There! Now you're happy," and then not understand why it didn't work. After she told that story, someone in the room asked Sue about Happier Boston. "How is it different from what your mom did?" they asked. Sue's eyes welled with tears - which she waved away as "tears of happiness" - as she said, "No, no - it's totally different. With Happier Boston, Samaritans isn't telling me not to be sad. It's giving me hope that there is goodness and happiness in the world - and telling me that I can be a part of that."
You can hear more from Sue, and others who have
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The 2013 Hope Events |
found comfort, solace, and healing at Samaritans, by joining us at our Hope Events. RSVP online, or please consider a gift to support Sue, and others like her.
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IM Hear_ expands to Weymouth High School
Samaritans is pleased to expand into our eighth high school this week, having formalized our partnership to bring our IM Hear_ online chat program to the students of Weymouth High School. One year ago this week, the community of Weymouth was rocked by the loss of one of its teenagers to suicide, and lit up Twitter with the memorial hashtag campaign #RIPJJ to channel their grief and try to build awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. In the year since JJ's death, Samaritans is proud to have been part of the support system for this community, and will help its young people reach out for help in productive and healthy ways. Our Samariteens look forward to being there for their peers in Weymouth.
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Two new happy runners!
With the support of the John Hancock Marathon Charity Program, Samaritans was able to add two more waitlisted marathon runners to our amazing team: Laura Sullivan and Leslie Unger. By taking on this amazing commitment in March, they have less time to train and less time to fundraise. Please consider sending some support their way:
 Leslie's story, "In middle school, a neighbor just older than me committed suicide, and later in college, someone close to me attempted. I have other friends who also grapple with depression, and I have gone through challenging times of loneliness and isolation. All of these things have shown me the personal side to the struggles people face, and as a volunteer at Samaritans, I have seen that there are so many people out there who need support and compassion as they try to navigate life's stumbling blocks."
 Laura's story, "On November 5, 2011 my seemingly unbreakable family lost my cousin Kenny to suicide. He was a remarkable individual whose life still continues to inspire each one of us. This year I am running the Boston Marathon on behalf of Samaritans, a volunteer organization dedicated to decreasing the incidence of suicide and assisting those who battle with crisis every day. Every mile that I track along the way will be dedicated to Kenny and to my AMAZING family whose strength and faith that I have witnessed in the last year has left me truly inspired."
Please visit our 2013 Marathon webpage to read more incredible stories and view individual fundraising webpages, where our runners are raising much needed support for Samaritans' programs. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for our Marathon Team, click the link or contact Garrett Owen. |
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