OUT OF THE DARKNESS WILL SHINE LIGHT ON SUICIDES,
Texarkana’s inaugural Out of the Darkness Community Walk for suicide prevention will take place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Bobby Ferguson Park.
Proceeds from the walk will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and will be used for volunteer training to start support groups in this area and for research.
“These fundraisers help to pay for volunteer training. Everybody has to go through training to be able to run support groups … and it helps pay for any material needed,” said Melissa Mims, walk organizer. “AFSP also funds research. Their goal is to lower to percentage of deaths by suicide by 20 percent by 2025. They plan on doing this through research and community awareness. The more walks there are, the more awareness there is so there’s more people doing stuff to prevent suicide.”
The event is free to attend but donations are accepted. The goal for the walk is $5,000.
“The first thing we want to do is set up some support groups for suicide loss survivors, the people left behind,” Mims said.
There will also be a support group for those who’ve attempted and survived suicide. Mims understands how much a support group would help those who’ve attempted suicide because she survived a suicide attempt.
“Suicide doesn’t discriminate. I’m a Christian but I attempted suicide two years ago. There are people from all walks of life who are suicidal. … We all have those moments where we get overwhelmed and there’s nothing that can change that,” Mims said. ” I know the support group helps suicide-loss survivors. They’re already meeting each other through our Facebook page. They’re able to talk to each other about what’s going on in their lives and they’re not alone. That’s what I want for us who are struggling. A place to talk about tough things going on and to talk about what we’re doing to help ourselves.”
“The biggest goal is to get people the licensed help they need. A lot of people are scared to take that step. They don’t want people to know they’re going to therapy but it’s nothing to be embarrassed of,” she said.
Mims has taken her experience and turned it into a positive. She wants to bring the topic of suicide out of the shadows so people can begin talking about it, the first step to getting the help they need.
“I realized God allowed me to go through this … because I’m supposed to help other people and let them know this isn’t what’s in the cards for you. … Somebody has to step up and start providing that peer support … and let you know you’re not alone,” Mims said.
To register or make a donation, visit afsp.org/texarkana. The effort also has a Facebook page that can be found by searching Facebook for Texarkana Out of the Darkness Community Walk.