I am profoundly touched by each volunteer who shares their story with me. Many have lost someone they cared about to suicide, some have struggled with their mental health , and others have walked beside friends and family struggling with mental health issues. All of our volunteers give graciously and generously to provide whatever we need in service of our mission to save lives and our vision of a world without suicide. On April 9 we trained 9 new volunteers and certified them as QPR Gatekeepers! I’m so appreciative of the many who have given their time over the years…
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. We are grateful to have this month set aside to recognize the important work we do. The past 18 months have been filled with the challenges brought to us by the Covid-19 pandemic, yet we have been able to hold virtual trainings and events, work with partners both old and new, and find our way in the new landscape. This month we held our first in-person safeTALK training since March of 2020! It was exciting to be back teaching face-to-face, even though our faces were masked, we sat at a distance from one…
Our May events and trainings were attended by 501 people! Every May there is a heightened interest in supporting mental health programs and talking about mental health issues because May is Mental Health Month. We are delighted that so many people took the opportunities that were offered to learn more about good mental health and about suicide prevention awareness. It was our pleasure to work together with our partners, CHKD, NAMI, The Chas Foundation, I Need a Lighthouse, EVMS, and The Barry Robinson Center to present the Kids in Crisis film and panel discussion and the Youth Suicide Risk and…
So much is happening as we step into springtime. Life is full of flowers and pollen, and it seems like people are walking dogs and riding bikes and scooters everywhere I look. Here at the SMP Foundation, we have been busy working on a host of new opportunities in our new office! That’s right, we have a new office just a block away from the old one. We are now located at 4500 Colley Avenue in Norfolk and we hope to have our sign up soon. In recent weeks, we have presented We All Have Mental Health for teens and…
As the new year begins with so much uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic and all of its attendant uncertainties, it seems important to focus on what we know and what we can do to stay mentally healthy. We can all do things to support our own mental health and encourage others to make mental health a priority by modeling good practices. Here are a few things to know and remember. You’ve successfully managed during other hard times. See if you can remember finding your way through other challenges that you have faced successfully. Draw on what you know has…
As the new year begins with so much uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic and all of its attendant uncertainties, it seems important to focus on what we know and what we can do to stay mentally healthy. We can all do things to support our own mental health and encourage others to make mental health a priority by modeling good practices. Here are a few things to know and remember. You’ve successfully managed during other hard times. See if you can remember finding your way through other challenges that you have faced successfully. Draw on what you know…
As this year comes to a close, we are so grateful to everyone who has joined us in the fight against suicide. Scheduling programs and contributing financially, as well as sharing our posts on social media are all ways you have become partners in our mission. The 2020 pandemic continues with isolation, financial concerns, and health concerns contributing to depression and anxiety for many in our community. Do you know what to say to someone you think is depressed? Do you know that it’s ok to say something? It is. When you tell someone that you see them, you notice…
Depression is hard. It is slogging through the mud of life every day without being able to see the beauty of Fall with colorful leaves and a nip of upcoming cool weather in the air. The 2020 pandemic continues with isolation, financial concerns, and health concerns contributing to depression and anxiety for many in our community. Do you know what to say to someone you think is depressed? Do you know that it’s ok to say something? It is. When you tell someone that you see them, you notice that they are struggling, and you care, you are letting them…
A caring person with a few skills can notice someone in mental distress and provide them with safety and resources that could save a life. Now is the perfect time to learn more about depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention–or to pledge that you will learn more in the upcoming year. The covid-19 pandemic continues as students head back to school online or in-person and the days grow shorter. Did you know that it is now more likely that you will need to use your skills to talk to someone about suicide than to perform CPR? We now have virtual programs…
We have new programs! Virtual programs for teens and adults can be arranged for your group. Contact us to talk about your needs. As the pandemic continues, groups of teachers, parents, and students have benefited from learning good mental health habits. You can also learn how to recognize anxiety and depression along with steps to take to help yourself and others with safety and caring. Local resources are available for those who need treatment.
With the world changing in the face of a public health emergency, we want to remind our community to stay safe and healthy. This means not only monitoring physical health (read the CDC’s latest recommendations for staying healthy here), but also maintaining your mental health in times of increasing stress and uncertainty. Below we have detailed some key areas to focus on and tips to aid in reducing this crisis’ toll on mental health. Remember, if you find yourself having a mental health emergency, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741…
We have much to be thankful for all year long, and November seems like a good month to write about it. We are thankful for the many volunteers who provide our programs and staff our Resource Table at events. They participate in training and use their time to make a difference in our community by helping break down stigma around mental health and teaching people what to say and do when they notice that someone seems different and may need help. Click on the Events calendar to see trainings and tables coming up, and click on the safeTALK Registration to…
That’s a record for us! We held safeTALKs, Talk Saves Lives, teacher training, It’s Real for college students, Mental Health Trivia at O’Connor Brewery, and the Shatter the Silence Teen Event, which was a blast for all who attended. We participated i the groundbreaking of CHKD’s new mental health facility and inspired the Youth Partnership with information about all of the local suicide prevention programs and events taking place, and we supported AFSP’s Out of the Darkness Walk in Suffolk. In addition to the programs, we placed 48 small displays containing bookmarks with mental health conversation starters in businesses around…
Look for our little displays with bookmarks and info. at many businesses in Hampton Roads. They provide conversation tips for talking withsomeone about mental health. Also, we are providing more trainings than in any other month! If you haven’t yet attended safeTALK or another program, now is a good time to make a commitment to yourself to learn how to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources. Most people with thoughts of suicide invite help to stay safe. Alert helpers know how to use these opportunities to support that desire for safety. Join…
Our June safeTALK Training in Ghent was well-attended! It’s a wonderful thing to see so many people willing to learn to make a difference in our community by learning about suicide prevention. Just click Training Registration on our menu to sign up for the upcoming safeTALK Training. It’s FREE. The next class is Thursday, July 25 from 5:30pm-8:30pm. It will be held at Gather in downtown Norfolk. You will receive specifics about location and parking upon registration. safeTALK is a 3-hour training in suicide alertness. Participants learn to recognize and engage persons who might be having thoughts of suicide and…
Just click Training Sign Up on the toolbar to sign up for this FREE training offered June 28 from 9:00am-12:00pm in Norfolk. Upon, signing up you will get more specifics on location! safeTALK is a half-day training in suicide alertness. Participants learn to recognize and engage persons who might be having thoughts of suicide and to connect them with community resources trained in suicide intervention. safeTALK stresses safety while challenging taboos that inhibit open talk about suicide. Participants don’t need any formal preparation to attend the training—anyone age 15 or older who wants to make a difference can learn the…
We are truly grateful to everyone who donated to The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation during the 24 hours of Give Local 757. We raised $20,278 from you, our wonderful supporters. We were also able to win $1,514 in prize money from the Peninsula Community Foundation and its partners. These much-needed funds will go toward a variety of educational programs and educational materials that bring life-saving information to teens and adults in the Hampton Roads area. If you would like to host a suicide prevention program, email us using our contact page. You can click on the program tab on the…
http://www.givelocal757.org/sarahmpetersonfoundation is the place to go to support suicide prevention in the coming year! Your generous donations make our educational programs possible, and your support is vital. Here is a short film about what we were able to do in 2018: https://youtu.be/Ziv5vfAb7Lw Here is a mini-documentary about The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation: https://youtu.be/uXaoEIe1MJU
Our safeTALK training on March 29 was a huge success! The class was full to overflowing and there is a waiting list for the next training. We can’t say enough how proud we feel to be part of a community where so many people are willing to take the time and effort to become alert helpers who are aware that the possibility of suicide exists. Being willing to step in, ask the question, and keep someone safe while connecting them to help is important. Everyone can do it! Contact us now to be notified of the next safeTALK class or…
In March, we completed our second year of partnership with Suffolk Public Schools, providing training at each middle and high school to all teachers, other staff members, parents, and community members. We also trained teachers to present the More Than Sad Program to all eighth and tenth grade students. We commend Suffolk Public Schools for taking mental health and suicide risk seriously and stepping up to provide information and care in every school.
The Sarah Michelle Peterson will be hosting a FREE community safeTALK training this Friday. To our delight, the training quickly sold out and we will be hosting more in the future! We are thrilled to share that in addition to getting community partners trained for FREE, we are also able to have a portion of our Board and volunteers become safeTALK trainers themselves! This is a huge opportunity for us to increase our impact as we will now add safeTALK to the menu of programs we offer! We could not achieve this without contributions from our wonderful donors. WE LOVE…
Thanks to dedicated volunteers and generous donors, 2018 was a milestone year. We conducted 140 separate suicide prevention training programs for 3,214 participants! We also engaged with approximately 3,500 additional people through our Resource Table at 22 other events around Hampton Roads. We are so grateful to everyone who volunteered, donated, and supported us on social media through liking, sharing and retweeting. In 2019 we will continue to provide FREE suicide prevention programs and resources to schools, youth groups, workplaces, clubs, and others who request them. We also plan to increase our outreach and improve our infrastructure with office space…
Please read our 2018 Newsletter below or click the link to download. With the year coming to a close, we are proud of all that we have accomplished. With your help, we have made big strides together! Thank you for being a part of the important work of informing, educating, and stopping the stigma of mental illness. Download Link: 2018 Year in Review
Throughout the Fall season The Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation will be providing 5 free trainings of Talk Saves Lives around the Hampton Roads Area! Talk Saves Lives is a community-based presentation that covers the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide. Attendees will learn the risk and warning signs of suicide, and how together, we can help prevent it. Click on the dates below for more information and registration link! Monday, October 22, 2018 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Thursday, November 8, 2018 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Wednesday,…
After the great success of GiveLocal 757 we haven taken that energy and continued to get out into our community. This summer we have: Sponsored the Clipper Classic race at Blair Middle School and provided a resource table with free information and items for students, staff and families Delivered 4 Talk Saves Lives Presentations for communities in Hampton Roads Provided support and resources for other events within the Hampton Roads Area This fall look for our director, Michelle Peterson, to be the featured speaker at the Shatter the Silence Event on Sept. 14 at the Attucks Theatre. Michelle will lead…
With the help of generous people near and far we received 266 donations totaling $11,512.86!Out of 219 total non-profits who participated in Give Local 757 we placed 8th overall and we were 1st in our category- Health and 4th in the small non-profits category to win the maximum amount of 3 prizes! Prizes Awarded to the SMPF:The Golden Ticket 2:30 AM– One nonprofit will be randomly chosen to receive $757 at 2:30 am.Notable Newcomer Challenge– $757 awarded to the organization that is a first time participant in Give Local 757 and receives the highest number of unique donations.The 50/50 Challenge– The first…
