Why AFSP Matters: Turning Support Into Hope, Help, and Action
Last week, I shared my story.
I wrote about why suicide prevention is personal to me, what I experienced during last year's Out of the Darkness Walk, and why I have chosen to return again on September 26, 2026 — my 49th birthday.
But this mission cannot be only about my story.
Because when someone makes a donation, they deserve to understand what they are supporting and why it matters.
That is what I want to talk about today.
More Than a Walk
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is not simply an organization that puts together walks.
Its work extends into four areas that can directly influence how communities understand, respond to, and prevent suicide:
Research.
AFSP helps support scientific research intended to better understand suicide, risk factors, prevention strategies, and interventions.
Education.
Prevention begins with knowledge.
AFSP provides educational programs designed to help people recognize warning signs, understand mental health and suicide risk, and know how to respond when someone may need help.
Advocacy.
Suicide prevention also requires changes beyond the individual.
AFSP advocates for public policies intended to improve mental health care, suicide-prevention efforts, and support systems.
Support.
For people who have lost someone to suicide, survived an attempt, or are supporting someone struggling, connection matters.
AFSP provides programs and resources intended to remind people that they do not have to navigate those experiences alone.
The Numbers Represent Real People
According to AFSP, its suicide-prevention programs and events reached approximately 1.67 million people last year.
AFSP also reports that 97% of its program and event attendees would recommend those programs to others.
And among people participating in Survivor Day, 98% reported feeling supported, connected, and hopeful.
Those numbers matter.
But behind every statistic is a person.
A child.
A parent.
A spouse.
A friend.
A coworker.
A student.
Someone grieving.
Someone trying to help another person.
Or someone quietly trying to make it through another day.
That is why I don't look at this fundraiser as simply trying to move a number from zero to $3,000.
What Can a Donation Help Support?
AFSP's fundraising materials provide examples of how contributions can help support its mission.
A $50 contribution can help provide suicide-prevention educational materials to approximately 25 people.
A $100 contribution can help bring the It's Real: Teens and Mental Health education program to a local high school.
A $250 contribution can help support the recruitment and training of a volunteer field advocate.
A $500 contribution can help train a new Survivor of Suicide Loss support-group facilitator.
Different donations support different pieces of a much larger mission.
And that is important to remember:
There is no meaningless contribution.
We Have Already Raised $1,279.75
As I write this, this year's campaign has raised:
$1,279.75 toward our $3,000 goal.
I am incredibly grateful.
Every contribution represents someone choosing to say:
This matters.
Every share represents another person helping this message travel farther.
And every conversation about suicide prevention makes it a little easier for someone else to speak honestly about what they may be experiencing.
For those who donate $50 or more, I am also continuing the tradition we began last year.
You may give me a name to place on my event shirt.
It can be your name.
It can be someone you love.
Someone you lost.
Someone who survived.
Or someone who is still fighting.
On September 26, I will carry those names with me for all three miles.
Why I Continue
I have already shared that I am a survivor.
That is one reason this mission will always be personal.
But I don't want this campaign to end with people simply knowing my story.
I want my story to lead somewhere.
I want it to help create a conversation.
I want it to encourage someone to check on a friend.
I want it to remind somebody who is struggling that seeking help is not weakness.
And I want the money we raise to support organizations doing the work of prevention, education, research, advocacy, and support long after I finish those three miles.
That is why AFSP matters to me.
That is why I am walking again.
And that is why I continue asking people to stand beside this mission.
Help Us Continue
Our goal remains:
$3,000 for suicide prevention.
If you are able to contribute, I would be grateful.
If you cannot donate, please share this story.
Send it to one friend.
Start one conversation.
Check on one person.
Sometimes we never know how far a small act of concern will travel.
Last year, we carried the weight.
This year, we go further.
Support My 2026 Out of the Darkness Mission
https://afspwalks.donordrive.com/participant/3514104
Donate. Share. Start a conversation.
Because no one should believe they have to carry their darkest moments alone.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs immediate emotional support in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.