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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2019
Media Contact: Jill Schacter jschacter@cityofevanston.org
Phone:  847/448-8628

Suicide Prevention Program Offers Straight Talk Plus Coffee

Community members are invited  to spend an hour talking about suicide awareness at "Talk Saves Lives," a one-hour discussion program offered at the Evanston Public Library at 7 pm on February 21. The goal is to work toward saving lives and stopping the pain of suicide that ripples through families and others close to those who complete the act.   This free program is run by Hope for the Day, a non-profit organization founded in 2011 and dedicated to suicide prevention. Those who attend will gain insights into how to talk to others about troubling thoughts, or even connect them to mental health resources. According to Hope for the Day, suicide completions are at a 30-year high and the primary obstacle to suicide prevention is the silence of stigma which compels people to stay silent about their internal experiences.  Christina Mendez, Evanston Public Library's social worker suggests that the program is appropriate for all people interested in mental health and in open dialogue about suicide,  as well as parents of teenagers, college and high school students, and anyone looking for help for themselves or a friend.

The “Talk Saves Lives” program was created by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and bestowed to Hope for the Day in August 2017. Talk Saves Lives teaches the basics of understanding suicide, how to identify signs, and how to respond to symptoms. Sip of Hope, Hope for the Day’s social enterprise, located at 3039 W. Fullerton in Chicago in partnership with Dark Matter Coffee, will provide free coffee at the program. Sip for Hope donates 100 percent of its proceeds to suicide prevention efforts.

Registration is not required for this free program, which will take place at 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 21, in the Falcon Room of the Main Library, 1703 Orrington.

About the Evanston Public Library

For more than 140 years, the Library has provided educational, culturally-rich resources for all residents, helped children prepare for school through the joys of reading and learning, celebrated Evanston’s diversity, and helped residents find information they seek. The Library is more than a building of books; it is a place to meet, connect, learn and explore. To learn more, visit www.epl.org.