Over 20 groups unite to end military suicides

Sept. 8, 2011, 8:14 p.m. EDT
More than 20 Organizations Unite in Washington DC to End Suicide for US Veterans and Active Duty Military Personnel
Sept. 10th to Honor 8th Annual World Suicide Prevention Day with the Global Night for Hope

WASHINGTON, Sep 8, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Groups join together on September 10th uniting in solidarity to end suicide for the veteran and active duty military communities. Serendipity brought twenty organizations and counting together to present expert views of why we are losing 18 veterans every single day to suicide, share personal stories of loss, and provide solutions for a reduction in these tragic occurrences. Mood-factory is donating 25,000 Mood-lites to Washington DC to shine a light of hope, and donating $0.25 of each Happiness Mood-lite sold to Project Hope, an iFred initiative. If you know an active duty military or veteran, encourage them to get support by visiting imalive.org, 1-877-VET2VET, or www.hopeline.com . To find out more about this historic event that marks the first collaborative effort of these groups, putting aside politics and egos in hopes of saving lives, at www.globalnightforhope.org .

When: Saturday, September 10th 2011 - noon -- 2:00pm rally with porches lit at dusk

Where: The area is known as Taft Memorial Park.

http://www.uscapitolpolice.gov/special_events/map.pdf .

What: Rally from 12-2 and Global Night for Hope for the military.

Why: Military and veteran suicides outpace the rest of the population, in combat zones as well as back home. Suicide now outpaces the number of combat deaths of active duty personnel and has become a critical crisis for our military and veteran community. Sadly, July 2011 had the most suicides occur in the army, 32, since the War on Terror began 10 years ago.

We must examine the methods we are using to eliminate suicide in our society, particularly for active military, Veterans and their Family Members. Serendipity, the KBHC, and iFred are joining with other veteran service organizations and hundreds of survivors who have lost their loved ones to suicide on the 8th Annual Suicide Prevention Day with an emphasis on the military. The intent is to send a message to the Nation that all veteran service organizations, the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration, and people in the community must work together collaboratively to end suicide among these brave men and women.

In addition, iFred.com has initiated a Global Night For Hope, and Mood-lites has donated 25,000 yellow light bulbs to hand out to participants and the neighborhoods surrounding the capital during the September 10 event. All are encouraged to place the yellow bulb in their porch light fixtures and turn them on the evening of Sept 10th. It is our goal to "light up the night" and show people in our nations' Capitol support for our veterans and their family members in providing world class depression, PTSD,and TBI evaluation and treatment which may in turn save lives.

The 1-877-VET2VET (838-2838) suicide prevention and crisis intervention counseling program is vital to many veterans in need of empathetic support from their own peers. The Kristin Brooks Hope Center, one of the leading suicide prevention organizations in the U.S. for over 13 years, is well positioned to have a significant impact on the at-risk veteran community with this new, online, peer-to-peer, crisis intervention program. We encourage you to join us and would be happy to include you in the program during our event.

Who: Our Sponsors: Kristin Brooks Hope Center (KBHC), Mood-factory, PostSecret.com, Psych Central, World Makers. Our Nonprofit Partners: Blue Star Families, Center for Strategic Military Excellence, Family of a Vet, Project Honor an iFred.org initiative, NAMI of Montgomery County, National Veterans Foundation, Operation Second Chance, Serendipity, The Mommies Network, The Soldiers Project, Vet2Vet, Veterans Advocacy Services, Inc., Veteran's Dream Foundation, Veteran's Education Project, VetsforVets, iFred, and invited members of Congress on both the Senate and House Committees for Veterans Affairs and Armed Services.

Our Sponsors:

About Mood-factory: We have one goal at our company: To Improve Moods. We do this by teaching you how to engage all of your senses, in the correct way, to create a more desirable state. Mood-lites is the Mood-factory's first product category, and are light bulbs based on how colors affect moods. Mood-factory is now just launching our 2nd generation Mood-lites in Lowe's Home Improvement stores throughout the United States. It is our goal, through the donation of 25,000 light bulbs, to shine Washington DC porches yellow on September 10th to increase awareness for depression. Additionally, 0.25 of each Mood-lite sold will be donated to iFred, a 501c3 aiming to shine a positive light on depression. Light your porch yellow on September 10th, showing Hope for healing and support of our military. Allow this light to flood our cities as we fall into September 11, in the Hope for a more peaceful world free from violence and hatred.

About PostSecret.com: Called "the most trusted stranger in America," Frank Warren is the sole founder and curator of the PostSecret Project: A collection of nearly 500,000 highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, displaying the soulful secrets we never voice. The PostSecret.com site now receives more than 1,000,000 visitors every week. In 2005, the All-American Rejects approached Warren about using images of actual PostSecret images in their "Dirty Little Secret" music video. They offered Warren $1,000, but Warren instead asked them to donate $2,000 to 1-800-SUICIDE where Warren was a volunteer. The donation was made and the music video became one of the most requested on MTV. The National Mental Health Association presented Warren with an award for his work in raising public awareness of Suicide. The PostSecret project has now raised over $500,000 for 1800-SUICIDE. PostSecret was awarded the December 2008 "Myspace Impact Award" and donated 100% of the proceeds to 1-800 SUICIDE. The latest PostSecret book titled Confessions on Life, Death and God made the NY Times Best Seller List at #1 and in June 2010 Time Magazine rated Postsecret the #2 blog in the US. www.postsecret.com

About World Makers: World Makers, Inc. creates and sources high quality and environmentally friendly personal use and gift products through its website, www.worldmakers.com . World Makers, Inc. insists that free enterprise is a luxury that would not exist if it weren't for America's veterans. For this reason the company is creating a Veterans Sales Force (VSF) in order to proactively employ U.S. military veterans and to stem the pandemic of 6,000 veteran suicides per year. Commissions from product sales will be shared equally with the Vet2Vet suicide prevention program.

About Psych Central: Psych Central ( www.psychcentral.com ) is the Internet's largest and oldest independent mental health and psychology network. Since 1995, it has been run by mental health professionals led by Dr. John Grohol offering reliable, trusted information and over 170 support groups to consumers. We touch the lives of over 2 million people around the world every month. Psych Central also runs one of the most popular suicide resources on the Internet, "Suicide… Read this first," ( www.metanoia.org/suicide/ ) which has been read by over 16 million people since 1995 and changed the minds of over 5 million of them.

About Our Nonprofit Partnerships:

About Blue Star Families: Blue Star Families is a non-partisan, non-profit organization, created by real military families. We are committed to supporting one another through the unique challenges of military service and asking the larger civilian population to help as well, connecting military families regardless of rank, branch of service or physical location, and empowering military family members to create the best personal and family life possible for themselves. www.bluestarfam.org

About Center for Strategic Military Excellence: The Center for Strategic Military Excellence is a private organization that serves as a standalone center to fulfill the needs of veterans, DOD members, and their dependents by providing access to health care, mental health services, education, job placement and special needs housing. The Center for Strategic Military Excellence is determined to make these services more effective and efficient so to better provide the level of care and consideration that these great men and women deserve. They strive to bridge the gap between the private health care industry and VA/DOD health services by helping to overcome bureaucratic obstacles and working to better deliver the quality of care that we all expect for the veterans of this country. Their mission requires that we approach the care of our veterans with a steadfast resolve from the day they take their oath to serve until the day that they are laid to rest. csme-usa.com

About Family of a Vet: Family Of a Vet was started by the proud wife of an OIF Veteran who suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Her family originally planned to be "career" Army. They dearly loved the military, the people who make up its family, and are passionate patriots.

About the Kristin Brooks Hope Center/Vet2Vet: The Kristin Brooks Hope Center was founded in April 1998 by Reese Butler after his wife, Kristin Brooks, died by suicide. The mission of the KBHC is to offer hope to those in the deepest emotional pain. To that end, the KBHC has launched programs such as the National Hopeline Network 1.800.SUICIDE, which connects those who are depressed or suicidal to a local certified crisis center. In 2003 KBHC launched 1-877-VET2VET and the www.veteranscall.us which provides peer support online, via telephone or email. The KBHC works to prevent suicide and educate people about depressive disorders. www.hopeline.com .

About National Veterans Foundation: The National Veterans Foundation serves the crisis management, information and referral needs of all U.S. Veterans and their families through: Management and operation of the nation's only toll-free helpline for all veterans and their families. It is our goal to increase public awareness programs that shine a consistent spotlight on the needs of America's veterans. In addition we provide outreach services to veterans and families in need with food, clothing, transportation, employment, and other essential resources

About NAMI, Montgomery County: NAMI Montgomery County (NAMI MC) is the Montgomery County, Maryland affiliate of National Alliance on Mental Illness which is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

About Operation Second Chance: Founded in 2004 by Cindy McGrew they are patriotic citizens committed to serving our wounded, injured and ill combat veterans. They support Veterans and their families while they recover in military hospitals, by building relationships and identifying and supporting immediate needs and interests. They are dedicated to promoting public awareness of the many sacrifices made by our Armed Forces. Since its foundation in 2004, Operation Second Chance has developed a series of deep, mutually beneficial, and constructive working relationships with a series of Partners, and is proud to be associated with them.

www.operationsecondchance.org

About Serendipity: Responding to the outcry of military families who are losing not only soldiers, but family members as well to suicide, this team of professionals from all walks of life have become "People Brokers" and dedicated themselves to eliminating suicide in our nation. By bridging current resources both nationally and locally, empowering survivors and survivor families to find their own voices, holding leadership accountable for changes long overdue, and creating awareness for the public at large, Serendipity seeks to create a holistic support system that not only prevents suicide, but also promotes healthier families and communities across both military and civilian communities.

About The Mommies Network: The Mommies Network is a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping moms find support and friendship in their local community. We started as one chapter and launched as network of chapters in 2005. Now we have about 100 communities across the country and over 25,000 active members.

About The Soldiers Project: The Soldiers Project is a private, non-profit, independent group of volunteer licensed mental health professionals. This group of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, registered nurses, marriage and family therapists provide free confidential psychological counseling for military service members and their loved ones.

About Veterans Advocacy Services: Veterans Advocacy Services Inc. works hard to make sure our Veterans get the help they deserve. Please make a donation today and make a difference in the life of an armed services family.

About Veteran's Dream Foundation: Veteran's Dream Foundation work to fulfill the final dreams of our nations terminally ill veterans.

About Veteran's Education Project: VEP Veterans speak in secondary schools, youth programs, colleges, public venues, and at conferences and workshops for human service and education professionals in the Western Massachusetts area.

About Project Honor an iFred.org initiative: Kathryn Goetzke founded the International Foundation for Research and Education for Depression which operates www.depression.org iFred's primary purpose is to Bring Depression Hope. iFred brings energy and information together from a variety of existing sources to educate, inform and change the way we look at depression today.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: iFred



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