In This Issue:

Thank You

As we enter the season of thanks and giving, we first wanted to thank you all for being a part of Samaritans' community. Without our community support, Samaritans would not be here today. Because of you, Samaritans can be here for everyone in need.

In particular, we also want send a special thank our wonderful volunteers who will be here on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve and every other day of the year providing emotional support via phone, text and chat to those in need of compassion.

We would be remiss to not mention our veterans and active military members as well, whose commitment and sacrifice extends well beyond the field.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

Samaritans: You are Not Alone

The premiere of Samaritans: You are Not Alone on November 3rd was a great success! Whether you have been involved with Samaritans for decades or just read about the film and decided to join us, everyone walked away from the film and panel discussion learning new and important information about Samaritans' work and suicide prevention. We received so much positive feedback about the film, we wanted to share just a few of the notes we have received:

"I was moved by the dedication and compassion expressed by the group and especially through the interactive panel discussion. My heart is full of hope after last night and the advice from the panel is empowering."

"Excellent and informative. Samaritans provides a compassionate and needed service to those in desperate need. Mental health diseases hold a stigma in our society..... Samaritans is a wonderful group of caring, devoted people providing an urgently needed service. Thank you again for inviting us to this informative event."

The film has already generated new Community Education and Outreach seminars, and we are in the process of scheduling smaller screenings. If you would like to arrange a screening for your school or community group, contact us.

Our Executive Director, Steve Mongeau, and Ken Lambert of Keep Sound Minds were recently interviewed by WBUR about our collaboration on this exciting film. Click here to listen to the story, and please share with others.

First Month of Text Support

With the first month of Samaritans text helpline (877-870-HOPE) behind us, we're happy to call it a success! So far, we have had 71 text conversatoins from those in need of emotional support who might not be comfortable or able to reach out through a phone call.

National coverage of the launch has led to more articles than we can keep track of! Click here to read the latest article on texting from The MetroWest Daily News and visit the In the News section of our website to view what other sources had to say about the launch.

You can help us get the word out about this life saving service by sharing the above image on social media with your friends, and asking them to do the same. You never know who might be in need of emotional support.

Out and About

The Community Education and Outreach program had an extremely busy October! You could say our manager of Community Education and Outreach has officially become the ghost of the office. With close to 50 outreach events in October, Lauren Gablinske was in middle schools, high schools, and colleges from Boston to Marlborough and Worcester. Among the 35 youth workshops conducted we also had several gatekeeper trainings to attend and information tables to staff. As suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth, college students often feel a great deal of pressure from many different areas. Because of this, Lauren was especially grateful to have the opportunity to talk about suicide prevention with the Student Support Staff at Wentworth University. She then headed to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) conference where she presented our Supporting Our Youth workshop to coaches, school counselors and wellness teachers. Last, but certainly not least, Lauren collaborated with the youth program manager at Screening for Mental Health, another very important suicide prevention program, to present Signs of Suicide (SOS) in a unique presentation for attendees at the Weston Public Library. If you are interested in SOS or Samaritans' suicide prevention workshops please contact Lauren.

Opportunities for Survivors of Loss to Connect with Others

AFSP International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day and Samaritans Annual Memorial

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is an amazing international effort sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, with events in Nepal, Guatemala, Taiwan and Australia, just to name a few. On November 21, survivors in Massachusetts can gather at any of the eight locations throughout the state to find comfort and healing in the company of others who have walked the difficult road following the loss of a loved one to suicide. All events across the globe will show the AFSP's new documentary, Family Journeys: Healing and Hope after a Suicide. Additional programming is dependent on the location but may include presentations from loss survivors or mental health professionals and small group discussions, similar to our SafePlace meetings.

You can check out the list of locations with event details here. If you're not able to make it to one of the locations to participate, you can join others online at 1:30pm EST in watching the documentary with a follow-up discussion and Q&A, wrapping up around 3pm. Visit the live link portion of the website to find out more.

In addition to the event next Saturday, survivors of a loss to suicide can find an opportunity to remember their loved ones at Samaritans' Annual Memorial event on January 31, 2016. This is a time to share your love and your grief in the company of people who also know too well the pain of such a loss. Submissions to the program may come in the form of a letter, a poem, a song, or any way that individuals and families wish to pay tribute and remember their loved one. All are welcome to attend and to bring family or friends. If you'd like to be added to the mailing list for this event or to find out more, please contact our Grief Support Services manager, Emily Britt.

Volunteer with Grief Support Services

Samaritans' Grief Support Services program has the privilege of working with a team of dedicated and compassionate volunteers. Our volunteers understand the tremendous grief that comes with a loss to suicide because they, too, have suffered such a tragic loss. Grief Support Services volunteers believe they are ready to give back to the community and bring with them their experiences as survivors, their processes of grieving, and what was helpful for them in moving forward after their loss. They are models for hope and recovery, and help new survivors adjust using healthy healing processes.

Volunteers for this program go through three days of training with clinical psychologist, Jack Jordan, PhD, to learn the ins and outs of grief after suicide, and the skills to facilitate group meetings and home visits. If you're interested in joining the Grief Support Services team, contact the program manager, Emily Britt, at ebritt@samaritanshope.org to find out how to enroll in the next training class.

Upcoming training dates: Saturday, January 9; Saturday, January 16; Sunday, January 17

On the fence about volunteering? Here are a few reasons our volunteers decided to join our team:

"I remember the days and months following [my brother's] death and how desperate we were to have someone to talk to. I would hope that I could maybe bring comfort or understanding to someone in a similar situation."
"When I heard about Samaritans, I got in touch right away, interested in the Survivor to Survivor program. Two volunteers came to my house and sat with me as I told my story and the difficult emotions I was facing. We visited a second time a few months later, and they were warm and open and gave me the kind of support and above all, understanding, that I could not find anywhere else, not even amongst my friends and family. I am at a point in my journey where I want to be able to fill that role for other survivors who are struggling and looking for someone to connect with."

"I know too well the devastation left behind after a suicide death. It's a death and a loss like no other. I lost a best friend to murder and I lost my husband to great suffering from chronic illness. Loss to suicide is different. It shatters. If my being there for someone helps even a little bit then I am all in."

Congratulations to our new Chair of the Board

Terrie (right) with fellow board member Lisa at the 2015 Breakfast for Hope

Terrie Perella was elected Chair of the Board at the Annual Meeting on September 17, succeeding Peter Marsh, who held the role for three years. Terrie has been on the Samaritans board for twelve years, has served as chair of the strategic planning committee and the development committee, and is a member of the technology and marketing committees. She has also been a co-chair of the Breakfast for Hope for the past five years.

Terrie is a marketing and business development executive with focus in the technology and professional services industries. Upon accepting this new role, Terrie commented that she is "honored to be elected as Samaritans' next Chairman" and thanked her fellow board members and the Samaritans staff and volunteers for their support and collaboration. Terrie also thanked Pete for his outstanding leadership over the last three years and noted that she "hopes to continue the momentum and spirit" of his leadership.

Welcome our Newest Board Member, Kacy

Kacy is originally from Quincy, MA. As a child, her father would spend countless nights answering calls on Samaritans' helpline which, at the time, she knew very little about. She knew the work was important and that someday she wanted to be a part of it. Following in her father's footsteps, she moved back to Boston after college and became a Samaritans' helpline volunteer. She was looking for a way to become involved in the community and give back to something greater than herself. She began volunteering in September 2007 and she has not been able to leave the organization since.

Kacy has held many roles at Samaritans; marathon team runner, volunteer, employee, home-leader, trainer, but most importantly -- community member. Samaritans has been so much more to her than a non-profit organization doing good work - it is the very place that inspired and fostered her passion for social work. She is so proud to be the newest member of the Board of Directors for an organization that showed her the value and importance of helping others and being there for people in times of need.

Additional leadership roles:

Vin Capozzi/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Co-Vice Chair

Mark Horgan/CRICO, Co-Vice Chair and Governance and Nominating Committee Chair
Peter Marsh/NEWSCYCLE Solutions, Honorary Vice Chair and Strategy Committee Chair
Marc Bellanger/Buzzards Bay Coalition, Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair
Joe Shapiro/Rum & Reggae Guidebooks, Clerk
David Brendel/Leading Minds Executive & Personal Coaching, Program Committee Chair
Lisa Sarno/Sierra Tucson, Fundraising Committee Chair

Running the Ashland Half Marathon for Suicide Prevention

Samaritans' HopeRaisers give community members an opportunity to host their own fundraising events, raise funds through athletic events, and create pages in honor or in memory of loved ones. HopeRaisers have included a 5K, Spaghetti Dinner, Benefit Concert, and page in honor of the wedding of two former Samaritans' volunteers.

Our new board chair, Terrie Perella, turned her running hobby into a fundraiser when she ran her first half marathon on October 31st. Terrie was very pleased to support the life-saving work of Samaritans by running 13.1 miles, and appreciates the generous support of the many people who helped her achieve her goal. Steve Mongeau commented that "Terrie's half marathon was a great example of how each of us can creatively raise funds for Samaritans using the HopeRaiser, peer-to-peer fundraising application".

Click here to visit Terrie's fundraising page. If you are interested in starting your own HopeRaiser contact us.

Open Positions

Interested in preventing suicide as a Samaritans' staff member or intern? We are currently accepting applications for: