Cooperative Living January 2018 - 18

Shenandoah Valley
Electric Cooperative
members Will Warren
and Bobbie Jo Cousins
walked with Team Keri.
Northern Virginia Electric
Cooperative member B. Millings was
among those in line to register for the
Out of the Darkness walk held in her
hometown. " When you see so many
young people standing in the crowd
ready to walk for something they believe
in, it makes you realize how prevalent
this issue is. I was surprised at how
much strength and hope I saw around
me at the event. There was a sense of
empowerment to walk out of the
darkness and into the light - as an
entire community. "
Suicide brings darkness to even the
brightest worlds. When survivors -
and their supporters - come together,
it's powerful. " Statistics show that
survivors are often stronger and more
resilient, " Sours points out. At an Out
of the Darkness event, hope fills the
air. Supporters walk together, united
by a desire to increase awareness and
effect change.
Nicole Hill, member of Southside
Electric Cooperative, attended an Out
of the Darkness Walk in her local area.
" When I was at the Out of the Darkness
Walk, I looked around to see hundreds
of people: some with matching shirts,
some with colored beads around their
necks, adults, children and dogs on
leashes. I saw smiling faces and some
crying faces hugging their neighbors.
What a powerful movement, and an
incredible feeling of togetherness and
unity. I saw advocates and family
members, friends and co-workers,
people of all sizes, shapes and ethnicities
coming together for one reason - to
eliminate the stigma surrounding suicide
and raise awareness. "
16 | Cooperative Living | January 2018
Though Sours is still
picking up the pieces of
her life, she believes
talking about it - though
difficult - is important.
Talking about suicide can
remove much of its
frightening power. " I talk
about it because of the fact
that no one wants to talk
about it. I don't want it to
be a topic that's hushhush, "
Sours explains. " I
want people to recognize
that we need to come
together and do
something about it. "
Awareness is a step in the right
direction, but education and compassion
are needed to halt the toll. More than
44,000 lives are lost to suicide each year in
the U.S. and over 1 million worldwide.
The AFSP is at the forefront of research,
education and prevention initiatives
designed to reduce loss of life from suicide.
Developing a community that has a better
understanding of suicide is required to
reduce stigma and increase help-seeking.
According to the AFSP, the best way to
minimize the risk of suicide is to know the
risk factors and to recognize the warning
signs. Those include: deep sadness, loss of
interest, trouble sleeping and eating,
talking about death, making comments
about being hopeless or feeling helpless or
worthless, unexpectedly visiting or calling
people to say goodbye, and putting affairs
into order.
" If I could give advice to other parents
going through what I went through, I
would say this. Don't ever give up.
Demand help for your loved one and take
every sign seriously, " says Sours.
Hope is essential; it is all-important.
Hope allows people to see that there is a
brighter tomorrow beyond today. When
someone struggles with depression or
suicidal thoughts, they see no hope in the
tomorrows of their life. " These walks are
about turning hope into action, " says
AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia.
According to Sours, people's actions
can help turn pain into something
positive, help them step from darkness
into the light. She says, " All over
Virginia, these walks absolutely make
a difference in spreading awareness and
letting those who struggle know that
there is help. " 
www.co-opliving.com
MARGARET JOHNSON PHOTO
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living January 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living January 2018
