News and Notes

Support SAVE Through Our

Annual Campaign

SAVE's work continues to be vitally important in saving lives, and we rely upon generous people like you to support our suicide prevention programs and services.

You play a crucial role in our efforts to reach millions with our life-saving message of hope, public awareness and educational products. Please join us and make a difference in the lives of the people we help by contributing to our year-end fundraising. Click here to view our campaign letter!

With your support, we can continue to make a difference!

Research Finds Link Between Panic Attacks & Suicide

While mental health professionals have been able to pinpoint which individuals are more likely than average to engage in a suicidal act, they have been stumped by what actually triggers the act.

Thanks to the work of psychiatrists Zimri Yaseen, MD, Igor Galynker, MD, PhD, and their colleagues, we are closer to one of the answers.

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We have expanded our walks to multiple states, including: Arizona, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maine, New York, Michigan, South Dakota, California and many more!

This year's 5k Run/Walk sponsored by The Walser Foundation was held at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. We had an amazing turn-out with over 1,000 people participating!

If you are interested in starting an event in your city, please contact Linda Mars.

New Partnership

This summer, SAVE partnered with Kuhcoon, an up and coming social marketing firm that has developed software to help manage and monitor multiple social media sites. CEO, Andrew Torba, reached out to SAVE after his own experience with loss due to suicide.

SAVE's Program Coordinator stated, "Kuhcoon is an amazing tool to help any person using social media in a professional capacity to get their messages out in an efficient and effective way. I was grateful to have Kuhcoon at my finger tips when I was planning Facebook posts and tweets leading up to World Suicide Prevention Day and other awareness campaigns this fall. Kuhcoon makes it easy to plan your posts in advance, schedule exactly when you want them to hit the web, and even spice them up with a cool photo editing feature. It really is a great service for anyone that manages a fan page with a large audience or uses social media daily."

For more information, visit kuhcoon!

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Tour de Save

325 Bikers, Six Different Cities, One Great Cause

This past August marked the 10th Anniversary of the Tour de SAVE bike ride (formerly known as Tour de Nick) in Northfield, MN, and six other cities across the country! Whether it was the peaceful prairies in Minnesota, ocean views in San Diego, or the urban jungle of Chicago, each ride offered it's own unique experience. We're so proud of the lead organizers that helped make the inaugural national Tour de SAVE a huge success. Thank you all for your time and dedication to raising awareness and preventing suicide, and we are looking forward to reaching more cities in 2014!

Lead Organizers:

Bill Metz, Tour de SAVE: Northfield, MN

Erik Arias, Tour de SAVE: Chicago, IL

LuAnn Moyer, Tour de SAVE: Brevard, FL

Paul Meehl, Tour de SAVE: San Diego, CA

Ken Murphy, Tour de SAVE: Shirlington, VA

Michelle Trapp, Tour de SAVE: Fairfax, MN

SAVE events provide special opportunities to bring awareness to communities across the United States.

Want to organize a Tour de SAVE in your city? Contact our Events Coordinator, Linda Mars, at lmars@save.org or call 952-946-7998.

Why I Volunteer...Jacob's Story

Our volunteers are making a difference in the lives of thousands of people across the U.S. every day. Could volunteering make a difference in your life too?

We have seen the positive impact volunteering can have on those that have lost a loved one to suicide. Here's Jacob's story.

Tell us about your volunteer role for SAVE?

A: I am one of the speakers in SAVE's Speaker Bureau. I speak to middle schools, high schools, and youth groups. Throughout my seven years of speaking for SAVE, reaching over 4,000 students, I have learned a lot about mental illness, depression, and especially how it affects teenagers. That's why I am so pleased that SAVE is raising funds for researching specific signs and symptoms of depression and suicide in teens in order to provide resources and assistance to teens, parents, and schools.

I also have the pleasure of helping with the SAVE events. From handing out hot pretzels and cheese to golfers at the 4Cast4Fun Golf Tournament to modeling at the Fashion Show, SAVE events are always a great time. It is wonderful to see everyone working together to benefit such an important organization!

Why do you volunteer?

A: I love volunteering for SAVE! I know that it's so important to educate people on signs and symptoms of suicide and depression. Having dealt with depression in high school, as did some of my friends, I know it's important to spread awareness on suicide and mental illness. As I regularly tell the students I speak to, a key to healthy living is volunteering and helping other people. Without SAVE, I would not be the person I am today.

Why do you think others should volunteer?

A: Because there is no greater good-deed then helping other people.

Transitions

Tips for your student!

The start of a new school year can be filled with excitement of the unknown and anticipation of reconnecting with friends. It is important to understand that even the eagerness to return to class means adjustments to a busier lifestyle - an increase in school activities, homework pressures, and confidence in performance both socially and academically. Managing these adjustments is extremely important and directly impacts a successful school experience.

Parents and families play a key role in helping with changes during this time. By now, your student should have settled in to their new routine. Speak often with him/her to ensure they have had a smooth transition and find out how they are feeling about their new surroundings.

College Student:

Handling the transition of being away from home and the lack of contact with family and friends can cause anxiety and feelings of loneliness in college students. Have frequent contact with your student and discuss life and how things are going for them. Topics of discussion should include their adjustment to the new schedule - classes, work, roommate, homework and extra-curricular activities. Are they getting the proper amount of rest, connecting with friends? Also, make sure students know the various school professionals on campus, where and how to access those resources if needed.

Some anxiety is normal and should not be cause for concern. However, if over an extended period of time your student expresses feelings of hopelessness or pessimism; is abusing substances or have a sense of persistent sadness; he/she should seek help from a doctor or counselor immediately.

Youth:

Make sure your teenager does not get overly stressed about their new schedule and is taking on too much with coursework. It is fine to be involved with school activities, but too many commitments can cause unnecessary worry and tension. Be on the lookout for increased irritability, sleeping a lot or having trouble sleeping and decreased participation in family activities. Of course some of this may be normal, but continued and consistent demonstrations of this behavior should alert you to a potentially larger problem. Communicate with your teen, encouraging them to talk about their feelings. This will assist you in determining if and when to seek help.

Thank You Cities 97!

Cities 97 recently recognized our work by donating a portion of the proceeds from their Cities 97 Sampler to SAVE.

Cities 97 is the community engagement brand of Clear Channel which highlights local and national non-profits focusing on issues relating to family and social impact, health and wellness, education and literacy, and music and arts. In addition, Cities 97 offers organizations ways to further their mission by providing media assistance in the form of radio and public service announcements.

"The fact that they recognize us and the value of our work in the community at that level, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of dollars of in-kind support they provide for us, is unmatched."

-- Dan Reidenberg

World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day was September 10, 2013. This year's theme was STIGMA: A Major Barrier to Suicide Prevention. SAVE led this effort by launching the Take 5 to Save Lives website as a part of our affiliation with the National Council on Suicide Prevention.

Learn more about how you can get involved in this movement by visiting www.take5tosavelives.org

National Outreach Network

Interested in volunteering for SAVE? Now you can- no matter where you live!

The National Outreach Network (NON) is a grassroots suicide prevention program comprised of individuals across the United States that works to raise awareness of suicide by distributing SAVE materials to institutions, individuals and organizations on a national level. Dedicated NON volunteers work on a local and regional basis, assisting SAVE in bringing suicide prevention and mental health resources to their communities by selling and distributing SAVE's nationally recognized suicide prevention materials and resources.

Check out SAVE's National Outreach Network and apply online today!

VOICES of SAVE is a production of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. For more information, go to save.org or call 952-946-7998.