Center for Suicide Awareness

09/03/2026

This week has brought more thunderstorms, lightning, strong winds, downed trees, and even a lightning strike that sent sparks showering from a light pole.

For a community still recovering, that can be a lot.

School has just started. One school was destroyed in the tornado. Families are still rebuilding homes, routines, and their sense of safety. And now, every crack of thunder, strong gust of wind, or weather alert can bring those feelings rushing back.

💜 If the sound of thunder feels different now…

💜 If strong winds make you nervous…

💜 If your child is suddenly afraid of storms…

💜 If you find yourself checking the radar over and over…

💜 If your heart races when weather alerts begin…

You are not alone.

Sometimes our minds and bodies hold onto frightening experiences long after the immediate danger has passed.

Recovery isn’t only about repairing buildings, clearing trees, or rebuilding what was damaged.

There is emotional recovery happening, too.

💜Please be patient with yourself.

💜 Be patient with your children.

💜 Check on your neighbors.

💜 Talk about what you’re feeling.

💜 Remember that asking for support is okay.

If you’re struggling, you don’t have to carry it alone.

Text HOPELINE™ to 741741 for free, confidential emotional support, 24/7.

More Connection. Less Isolation.

09/03/2026

Some seasons feel lighter. Others can feel like they may never end.

When you’re in the middle of a difficult moment, it can be hard to imagine anything beyond what you’re feeling right now. But feelings change. Circumstances change. Life can look different tomorrow, next week, or months from now.

Hold on to the good moments when they come. And during the hard ones, hold on to hope, and to each other. 💜

You don’t have to carry everything alone.

📱 Text HOPELINE™ to 741741 for free, confidential emotional support, 24/7.

More Connection. Less Isolation.

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09/02/2026

09/02/2026

💜 Sometimes su***de prevention looks like something as simple as being seen.

A smile.
A kind word.
A few minutes of listening.
Using someone’s name.
Choosing not to look away.

For someone who feels isolated, forgotten, judged, or invisible, those moments may be anything but small. They can restore dignity, interrupt loneliness, and remind someone that they matter.

During National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, we’re highlighting the everyday ways each of us can help strengthen the safety net around one another.

💜 Choose compassion over judgment.
👂 Listen without rushing to fix.
💬 Ask how someone is really doing.
🤝 Make room for connection.
✨ Never underestimate the impact of simply acknowledging another human being.

You don’t need perfect words. You don’t need a title or special training to show someone kindness. Sometimes, being present is enough to make a difference.

📖 Read “The Power of Being Seen: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Change a Life” on our blog.
www.centerforsu***deawareness.org/blogs/the-power-of-being-seen--how-small-acts-of-kindness-can-change-a-life

📱 Text HOPELINE™ to 741741
Free. Confidential. 24/7. Real people. No time limit.

💜 More connection. Less isolation.

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09/02/2026

💜 September is National Su***de Prevention Month 💜

This month, our hearts are with those carrying invisible battles—those who wake each day fighting thoughts they can’t share, those who have lost someone they love to su***de, and those who have survived the unthinkable and are still here, still fighting.

We stand with the families and friends who love someone in pain, and with the ones who feel silenced or alone. Please know: your pain is seen, your strength is honored, and your life has immeasurable worth.

No one should walk this path by themselves. 💜
Text HOPELINE™ to 741741 for free, confidential support—any time, day or night.

www.centerforsu***deawareness.org

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09/01/2026

September is National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month. 💜

For the Center for Su***de Awareness, this month is an opportunity to shine an even brighter light on work that happens every day of the year.

Because su***de prevention isn’t seasonal.

It happens in January, April, July and December, too.

It happens when someone sends a text to check in.
When a veteran finds someone who understands.
When a first responder is given space to talk honestly.
When a student feels safe enough to say they’re struggling.
When a family learns what warning signs to look for.
When someone reaches out before the crisis becomes unbearable.

Throughout September, we’ll be sharing additional education, resources, stories, blog articles and practical ways to strengthen connection and reduce isolation.

But when September ends, the work continues.

We will still be in schools.
Still working alongside veterans and first responders.
Still meeting people in the places they already live, work, gather and connect.
Still having conversations about mental health and su***de that too often go unspoken.
Still reminding people that asking for support does not require reaching a breaking point.

National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month gives all of us a reason to pay closer attention.

Our hope is that what we learn, say and do this month becomes something we carry with us all year long.

💜 More Connection. Less Isolation.

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08/31/2026

08/31/2026

Some seasons don’t give us perfect conditions — they simply ask us to keep growing. 🌱💜

Be like the dandelion: resilient, adaptable, and willing to grow wherever life plants you.

More Connection. Less Isolation. 💜

08/30/2026

We are incredibly proud to share Barb Bigalke’s Women Who Wow Us radio interview! 💜

And if being selected as a 2026 recipient wasn’t special enough, Barb was nominated—not by one, not by two, but by three different individuals! That speaks volumes about the impact she has made on the people and communities around her.

Barb’s work has never been about recognition—it has always been about people. The people living with pain, the families navigating unimaginable grief, the first responders carrying the weight of what they witness, and everyone who has ever felt alone in their darkest moments.

In this interview, Barb shares what inspired her to found the Center for Su***de Awareness, why the way we treat families after a su***de loss matters, and how connection can interrupt the isolation that so often accompanies hopelessness.

Congratulations, Barb, on being named a 2026 Women Who Wow Us recipient. We are so proud of you and grateful for the heart, honesty and determination you bring to this work every day.

Please take a few minutes to listen to Barb’s powerful interview. 💜

https://www.whby.com/women-who-wow-us/ -Bigalke

More Connection. Less Isolation.

08/29/2026

First Responder Wellness Training 💜

We’re in Watertown today for the First Responder Wellness Training & Resource Fair, connecting with first responders, family members, retirees, and others who understand just how important wellness and resiliency are in these professions.

Our table may look colorful — stickers, candy, ducks, pins and even a Nintendo Switch — but every piece gives us an opportunity to start a conversation.

About stress.
About trauma.
About family.
About coping.
About asking for help.
And sometimes, simply about how someone is really doing.

Su***de prevention doesn’t always begin with a crisis. Sometimes it begins at a resource table, over a piece of candy, a funny sticker, a conversation about gaming, or meeting a very good dog. 🐶💜

We’re grateful to be here today sharing HOPELINE™, resiliency resources, first responder support, and a reminder that no one has to carry everything alone.

More Connection. Less Isolation. 💜

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