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Writer's pictureAlyson Wick

September 2024

Image Description: A close up image of fallen leaves on grass. There are trees in the background and sunlight is peeking through.

 

Fall is coming! Kids are back in school, calendars are filling up and life is getting hectic. Read our newsletter for some mental health tips & to find out what we've been up to and what's around the corner!

 

September is also Suicide Prevention Month. Looking for ways to get involved in prevention? Need resources? We'll be sharing our favorite orgs and options.


 

Recent


Where Have You Been, Loca!?


Image Description: Photo by Tim Goedhart on Unsplash - A wall of greenery has a pink neon light with the word "breathe" in cursive


You may have noticed we've been very quiet over the last couple of months! Don't worry, we're still here.


Our Founder has been busy becoming a licensed foster parent and taking care of things with family, but we are still actively distributing cards to survivors and providing our other services and programs behind the scenes!


We'll have more opportunities this fall and winter to get involved and volunteer, as well.


 

Ongoing


Henderson House Card Drive


Image Description: A purple and blue ombre background features purple text reading "Survivor Cards is happy to announce our latest card drive for," followed by the Henderson House logo, which is a lowercase "h" with a wave shape underneath and two above. The Survivor Cards logo is at the top of the image, with our white envelope, featuring a piece of paper popping out which says "Survivor Cards" and a blue heart seal.


Survivor Cards is happy to announce our latest card drive for Henderson House!


Henderson House in McMinnville, OR advocates provide domestic violence, sexual assault, and human sex trafficking response and advocacy, crisis intervention, emergency 30-day shelter, a 24-hour crisis line, coordinated wrap around service referrals, support groups, bilingual Spanish services, and youth outreach.


They have support groups, on-site advocates who help with protective orders and safety planning, shelter and service referrals, prevention education for high schools to teach students about healthy relationships and critical thinking, and offer services to Deaf and hard of hearing clients.


We will be providing Henderson House with 20 cards for their support group, serving women.


If you’d like to get involved, please email us at survivorcards@gmail.com


We are in desperate need for Spanish speaking volunteers!


 

Upcoming


Page to Stage


Image Description: The information below is surrounded by an image of school supplies, including highlighters, thumbtacks, pencil and pens.


We are honored to join Moeller High School in Sycamore Township this Saturday at 8 PM for their one-night only performance of "Page to Stage," an evening where the power of the written word takes center stage! Survivor Cards has been invited to speak about our programs, services and volunteer opportunities during this event!


"Experience Page to Stage, a unique event where actors breathe life into correspondence from across the ages. Letters penned by lovers, warriors, visionaries, and everyday people, span time and place, offering glimpses into moments of wonder, despair, humor, and wisdom.


As each letter is read aloud, you’ll be transported to different worlds, sharing in the emotions and thoughts of those who lived them. Whether you’re a lover of history, a fan of drama, or simply someone who enjoys a good story, Page to Stage will leave you moved and inspired."


Don’t miss this intimate, unforgettable journey through the art of language!"


All proceeds donated to local charities who support writing initiatives!



 

Our Programs and Services



 

Suicide Prevention Month

Image Description: Photo by Transly Translation Agency on Unsplash, two people stand together with their back facing the camera. They are looking into the distance. The one on the left has short brown hair and the one on the right has medium length orange hair. The person to the right leans their head on the shoulder of the person on the left.

 

Events

 

Looking for events and opportunities to get involved in suicide prevention? Start here!

 

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is holding their annual Out of the Darkness Community Walk on 10/10/24 at Sawyer Point Park in Cincinnati, OH! This fundraiser will help fund their efforts to prevent suicide and connect people with mental health resources across the country.

 

Drive Hope, by the Brian Hamilton Memorial is an event benefitting the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation. They have a few upcoming events, including September 18th at 16 Lots Brewing Company and September 26th at Third Eye Brewing Company. The events include food and drink opportunities with some proceeds going towards the foundation, raffle and split the pot!

 

Trainings

 

For the very best in suicide prevention training, look no further than QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) This training is for anyone anywhere to help prevent suicide with options for individuals, professionals and organizations.

 

Are you a counselor or work in the ER?

 

Need an online or in-person option for students?

 

Resources

*- Indicates that the resource is police-divested, meaning that they will not call 911, police or emergency services on actively suicidal callers

 

1-800-273-8255 - 24/7

Online Chat Option 

Free and confidential help, with connection to crisis services.

You can also dial 988 in some cases to reach them quickly.

Text HOME to 741741 - 24/7 line or visit their website for chat and WhatsApp options

 

877-565-8860 - 24/7

Trans Lifeline provides trans peer support.

They're run by and for trans people.

 

1-866-488-7386 - 24/7

Online Chat Option or text 'START' to 678-678 

Suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQIA+ youth

 

1-800-604-5841 - 24/7

"The BlackLine hotline can be reached at (800) 604-5841. BlackLine is a 24-hour crisis counseling and support line for people who are Black, Indigenous, Brown, Native, Muslim, or LGBTQI. BlackLine also provides a way to report negative interactions with police and vigilantes. BlackLine is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that aims to reduce the stigma around mental health in communities of color."

 

Back to School

Image Description: A person with Black skin writes in a notebook with a pen. Their hand is manicured with white nail polish.

 

"A return to school often feels like embracing new beginnings, new stresses and new routines (or return to old routines). But we’re also adding stress to our daily lives with all the changes that we have to put in place since summer is at an end. What we don’t often want to link together, is school and trauma. But a student may face all manner of difficult experiences and interactions, not all of which are healthy, happy or safe. So here’s what we know:

 

Trauma (we can think about this as a reasonable response to an unreasonable experience) impacts our day to day lives. It changes the way our brain forms, interprets information and how we generally interact with the world around us. Trauma changes how we understand how to keep ourselves safe. Most people are familiar with fight-or-flight responses. But what do those actually look like? Maybe when something happens at school, your student goes from happy and silly to standoffish or maybe they “talk back” or “have an attitude”. Maybe they start chewing their nails, or they suddenly have to have everything perfect-even down to the way they write their numbers and letters. Or maybe they can’t sleep, but start staying in their room without saying anything. That could be one of the other responses: freeze.

 

And for the students who begin being “too good to be true” or have become “velcro” and never leave your side-even though they had always been independent before? That could be the trauma response of fawn.

Image Description: A fawn (deer) looks in the direction of the camera with fear and uncertainty. There is grass all around them.

 

So what can we do to impact that in a good way? Think about the things that make you feel safe, stable and calm. Make a routine. Give options. Ask questions. And encourage empathy-especially when a student (or an adult) says “Hey, this makes me feel uneasy.”

Image Description: A young woman with brown skin and black wavy hair sits on a couch facing another person and looks off to the distance as if in thought. She is wearing a beige shirt and pants and a necklace.

 

What about for teachers and school staff? What might trauma look like there? Well, maybe it’s being nervous. Careful here, nervous can look like shy many times. So if you see someone who isn’t engaging the way they have before, or act differently with certain people, this may be a concern. Or maybe that hard-working student is getting pulled off-task or maybe even agitated and may need a higher intervention than one-on-one. By the time we get to the higher levels of interaction-emotional regulation, or using calm, complete sentences, the question may be, “well, what if they’re just wanting attention? Or are interrupting for no good reason?”

 

Dig deeper-ask the why. We don’t always respond with “ah yes, I must move my desk so I don’t stub my toe again” when we walk into a corner in the dark. We have to calm down and find “safe” before we get there. Students are the same way."

 

 -Michelle Brewer-Bunnell, LISW-S, Survivor Cards' Treasurer


 

As always, thank you for reading and being here! Here's to a wonderful month ahead!


If you'd like to receive these bi-monthly communications straight to your email, simply visit our website, scroll to the bottom and enter your e-mail address! If you'd like to get in touch, please email us at survivorcards@gmail.com


-Alyson Wick, Founder of Survivor Cards, Hot Girls Walking and Diversity Book Fairies of Cincinnati


(Individual, Self or Organization)


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