April 2, 2025 • 30 mins
Community DC Host Dennis Glasgow visits with AFSP Executive Director Ellen Shannon to talk about Mentral Health Awareness month in May, what AFSP does, how it can help you or a family member, upcoming events, how to donate and much more on Community DC!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Community d C.
I'm your host Dennis Glasgow. This morning we get a
chance to welcome once again from the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention and it's executive director, Ellen Shannon. And with
next month and May being Mental Health Awareness Month, it's
a great time to talk about everything that is AFSP,
not only what they do in May, but year round.
(00:24):
And remember to all our listeners, if you, a friend,
a family member, or a coworker are in need of
emotional support, please reach out to the nine to eight
eight Lifeline. Here's my conversation with Ellen. I hope you
enjoy it as much as I did.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Good morning, Ellen, Good morning Dennis.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
It's great to have you back. And as I said
in the intro AFSP National Capitol Area and you specifically
and your team are partners with iHeart here in DC,
and we love being partners with you, and I thank
you so much for that, and especially DC one on
one two, which of course this show can be heard
on in all six of our iHeartMedia DC stations. There
are a lot of people though that probably don't know
(01:02):
as much as they probably should have about AFSP National
Capital Area. So could you give an overview what you
guys actually.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Do absolutely well. First of all, I want to say
thank you for having me back. This is such a
pleasure to be here, and we cannot be more grateful
for the support of iHeartMedia and DC one on one
in all the stations, so thank you for that. For
those of you who are listening and may not be
so familiar with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention otherwise
(01:28):
known as AFSP, we are the largest organization dedicated to
our mission to save lives and bring hope to those
affected by suicide. So no matter where you may be
listening from, we have a nationwide presence. In fact, we
have now seventy three chapters in all fifty states, BC
and Puerto Rico. So wherever you are, you can absolutely
(01:49):
connect to your local chapter, your streaming live or anything
like that. But through our organization, we are the leaders
in suicide prevention and that is something we're really proud of.
Know that this is a leading cause of death, but
at the same time, we know it's preventable, and the
four main ways in which we fight this leading cause
of death is through funding vital research. In fact, AFSP
(02:14):
is the largest private funder of suicide prevention research in
the world, which is so vital because we know that
if we can answer the question why do people die
by suicide, we know that we can save lives undoubtedly.
And then from that research, we actually develop educational programs
at the national level by the leading researchers in the field.
(02:35):
And these programs are developed by our organization and then
disseminated to our communities through our chapters at no cost
to our constituent, which is so vital because we want
to make sure everyone has access to this life saving information.
And also we have programs and resources not just for
the general public, but for a variety of demographic because
(02:57):
we know that not only does mental health impact everyone,
but at the same time, we know that certain populations
are impacted in different ways, whether that's cultural background or
maybe by age. There's a variety of different ways in
which different demographics are impacted, and we want to make
sure that we're connecting with all communities because again, all
communities have mental health. We also advocate at the national, state,
(03:21):
and local level, working with hundreds of thousand volunteer advocates
all across the country to advocate for policies with our
elected officials that we know we'll save lives. And so
to give you an example of one of the policies
that we're very proud of is nine to eighty eight.
So anyone who's listening who may not be familiar with
nine to eight eight, it is the three digit number
(03:43):
to the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. That number used
to be one eight hundred two seven three eight two
five five, which I'll be honest with you, I'm shocked
I can even remember that. And I do this for
my job day in and day out, but that's a
really long phone number, and I can't imagine anyone would
be able to memorize that or remember it during especially
(04:04):
during a moment of crisis, right, And so we advocated
for that for many years, and a couple of years
ago we got it fined unaniously into law, and now
nine to eighty eight is available all across the country
twenty four seven three sixty five. But that's just one
example of the many laws that we're working on and
have worked on in the past, that we know will
save lives. And then the fourth way in which we
(04:27):
serve our mission is by providing support for survivors of
suicide law. Unfortunately, we know that statistically speaking, someone who
has been exposed to suicide or has lost somebody close
to them, unfortunately, that increase for themselves for suicide and
so we want to make sure that we are truly
supporting that population and supporting them through their grief journey.
(04:50):
A lot of people, due to stigma that have experienced
to suicide laws, may not feel like others around them
have experience similar type of losses, or maybe they're not
comfortable sharing their story because they may feel that themselves
or maybe their loved one will be judged. But unfortunately,
we know that the majority of Americans at some point
(05:12):
in their lives are impacted by suicide, and so we
don't want anyone to greethe in isolation. We want them
to make sure that they know that there is support
out there. They are not alone and there's a whole
community to support you. And that's true. They're our organization
as well standing.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Well, thanks for all of that, Ellen, I know that
my next question is always sobering, but we have to
talk about it when it comes to current statistics about
died by suicide. When it comes to the DMV or
even national statistics. What are we looking at right now?
I know the number is going up down or are
they about even right now?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
So most recently in which we have CDC data, the
suicide really rates decline for the first time in twenty nineteen,
and unfortunately since then the data we have out of
the CDC that they have started to rise once against pandemic.
And so that's really quite staggering and quite disappointing obviously,
(06:07):
and you know, we're just here fighting the good fight,
trying to prevent this leading cause of death because again
we know this is preventable and everybody can play a
role in creating a culture that's smarter about mental health.
But we're looking at about more than forty nine thousand
people are lost in the United States each year to suicide.
But that's that's the only statistic that we're looking at.
(06:29):
We also know that more than a million people in
the United States every year survive a suicide attempt, and
many of those people, through their healing journey and finding
support and mental health care, can go on to live
very long live and so we want to make sure
we're supporting those with lived experience as well. And then
the other part of that we're looking at as well too,
(06:51):
is that for every suicide loss, we know that more
than one hundred and thirty individuals in that person's network,
so we're talking about co workers, friends, family members, loved
ones are then impacted by that suicide loss. So again,
you know, looking at it from those we've lost to suicide,
those with lived experience, and those who have been impacted
(07:13):
by suicide laws. And of course you know, let's not
forget those who are caretakers and support those who struggle
and have lived experience. This is really something that impacts
all of us.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
When it comes to demographics, I'm going to make an assumption,
but I want you to correct me if I'm wrong
that when it comes to died by suicide that it
doesn't discriminate on any age, sex, color, creed anything. Am
I right about that? Or is there something a little
bit more predominant when you start looking at all the statistics.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
So we know that there is no demographic that is
immune for myth, right, you know, even small children can
lose parents to suicide and loved when they're caretakers, so
there is no while there is no demographic that is
you know FAEF from suicide at the same in time.
There are different demographics that are impacted at disproportionate rate,
(08:04):
and so when we're looking at different statistics. We know
that white males in the Singer's population, so sixty five
and above, are at the most highest risk for suicide
in our community, and that's for a variety of reasons.
We also know that young men of color, we're looking
at that population very closely. Unfortunately, those rates are starting
(08:26):
to rise, and we're really looking into the research of
answering why that is happening. We also know that members
of the LGBTQ population, not because they identify as LGBTQ plus,
but because of how they may be marginalized or discriminated against,
that can lead to increased risk for suicide within those populations.
And I can certainly go on and on, but it's
(08:49):
really important to think about this not just on a
macro level, but how this can impact different populations at
disproportionate rate.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
You're doing so many great things, and we've got a
lot to cover in the remaining time we have in
our thirty minute children for volunteering events, programs, some updates,
how to donate, that's a real big one. And you're
out of darkness walks too. Let's start with events. I
know you've got several that are ongoing their annual but
you've got some coming up in the next couple months.
And May is also a big month for you too.
(09:18):
I know every month is big, but May especially.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Right absolutely so, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and
we are so excited for that time of year because
not only is it a great opportunity to raise awareness
about mental health and suicide prevention, but we have so
many exciting things coming out and going on to engage
our community and to get people involved. So this May,
(09:41):
we are so excited to launch a brand new event
that we have coming. It is on May thirty first,
and it's going to be at River Bend Park in
Great Falls, Virginia, and it is our first ever Construction
Hike for Hope. And we're so so excited about this
event because we know, according to CDC data that when
(10:03):
we're looking at occupational risk for suicide, the construction and
extraction industries are the most impacted and in fact, it
is the number one leading cause of death in both
of those populations. So we know that this is a
community that we need to be working with, connecting with, engaging,
and ultimately serving because we know that they are so
(10:25):
at risk for this, and so we're inviting everyone to
come out, especially members of the construction industry and that
include businesses, trade associations, individuals, you name it, to come
out and join us for our Construction Hype for Hope.
It's going to be a beautiful day at Riverbend Park.
We're going to have resources there, We're going to go
on a beautiful pike along the Potomac River. We're even
(10:46):
going to have a picnic afterwards for everyone who joins this,
including family members. So it's going to be a really
wonderful day and we really hope to connect with all
these organizations that are going to join us to get
our programs and our resources out into the construction industry
well to make sure that we're supporting them in the
long term.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So about a year ago, I had a chance to
meet somebody from Texas that had lost her brother I
believe died by suicide, and she was participating in these
out of Darkness walks and she had an extraordinary story.
And you can remind me who that was we were
talking to if you were called that. But I do
want you to talk about the Out of Darkness Walks,
because out of all the things you do, I think
it's one of the coolest things to do of bringing
(11:23):
people back together with fellowship and celebrating the people that
are still here and grieving and going through that process
and being able to relate each other to just go
day by day. Can you talk a little bit about
those for sure?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
So we have Out of the Darkness Community Walks. They
typically happen in the fall. For our chapter, they happened
between September and October, but as we were talking about
a minute ago, they which is Mental Health Awareness Month,
is when we really kick off Out of the Darkness
Walk season. So that's when we're inviting people to come
out to register for these events, to sign up to volunteer,
(11:57):
come on as sponsors, attend or kickoff parties that we
have for these and then we do lots of awareness
raising and fundraising all throughout the summer leading up to
the fall, and then the events themselves. The actual walks
kickoff in September, which is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and
so our first walk is going to be in Prince
William County on September seventh at Harris Pavilion. Our second
(12:22):
walk of the season will be on September twentieth, which
is our Loudon Out of the Darkness Walk, and that's
going to be at one Loudon. I'm really excited about
this year's Fairfax Out of the Darkness Walk, which is
going to be October fourth. We're going to be at
a brand new location in the Mosaic District, and we
are so so excited about this because I think it's
going to be so fabulous. But that is going to
(12:42):
be October fourth in Fairfax, Virgina. And then our biggest
event of the year, which is the Washington DC Out
of the Darkness Walk, is going to be at the
Lincoln Memorial on October eighteenth. And so the one thing
I can say about these events is they all kim
ov are our largest community events of the year. They
are free, There is no fundraising minimum to participate. Yes,
(13:05):
they are fundraisers, but we want to make sure that
everyone can be part of the movement that to save lives,
to stop suicide, to create a culture that's smart about
mental health. So we want to make sure that they
are inclusive and they are accessible, and that everybody comes
out and stands with us and walks with us to
save lives and bring hook to those affected by suicide.
(13:26):
And so no matter who you are, please join us,
Please sign up. All of these events can be found
at AFSP dot org slash walk. Again at af SP
dot org slash walk. If you go there you can
find our local events as well as more than five
hundred walks that are taking place nationwide. So again, no
(13:48):
matter where you're listening from, you can find a walk
near you standing.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Thanks for all that, Ellen, it is a great website.
And speaking of which, I was looking at some of
the featured programs that you have, and I know that
there are three that are kind of highlighted, and I'd
like you to talk maybe just a synopsis of each
one and what it means to you and what they
actually do. You've got Talk Saves Lives. It's real, and
then more than sad. Can you talk about all three
for us?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yeah, for sure, So Talk Saved Lives. I'll start there
because it is by far our most popular program. I
love this program so so much. It's appropriate for any
adult audience. That we're talking is for eighteen year old
eighteen year olds and above. And it's a wonderful introduction
to suicide prevention and to give you a quick synopsis
(14:33):
of what it's all about, it is it's about an
hour long, so it's great for a lunch and learn
or to come and do it for an organization or
business or school, you name it. We'll come and meet
you wherever you are and we can do it virtually
or in person. But it's an hour long presentation and
it really is an introductory course to teach you about, like,
first of all, what is suicide. You know a lot
(14:55):
of people misunderstand what this is as a complex health issue,
and that's what it is. It's a health issue, right,
and so it sets the stage with really defining what
suicide is and how many people this impacts. One of
the things I really love about this program is it
highlights the importance of how we talk about suicide and
(15:15):
mental health and that there are safe ways to talk
about it and there are unsafe ways to talk about it.
So some examples of I know you and I have
had this conversation before, is we want to use words
and phrases in our everyday life that breaks down stigma
and encourages help speaking and so one of the things
that I've found really interesting when I first came to
(15:35):
AFSC is that we try to avoid using the term
commit it. And frankly, when I first learned that, I
was really surprised. It's something I had never really thought
about before. But when you're use the word committed, first
of all, the term committed has judgment implied and attached
to it. But you don't talk about any other health
(15:55):
condition by using the term committed. You wouldn't say somebody
committed cancer or somebody committed heart disease. And we know
that this is a health condition, so we should talk
about it as much so using terms like died by
suicide or killed themselves, you know, just very plain, factual language,
and other things like talking about how someone died by
suicide could actually be quite dangerous, talking about lethal means
(16:19):
or using graphic imagery or anything along those lines, and
things along those lines. So just using safe speaking, don't
ever joke about it, don't use it flippantly in everyday language,
because we really don't want to joke about this. This
is something that is very serious and it does impact
so many people, and so it talks about how we
can all speak about this in a more safe way.
(16:41):
And then it gets into who's impacted a little bit
about how different demographics are impacted in different ways, and
then it gets into what I call like the meat
and potatoes of the presentation. And then it gets into
some risk factors and knowing what those are. So just
like heart disease, for instance, if you knew you had
a family history of it, or you had you know,
(17:03):
higher rates than you know cholesterol, you know, anything like that,
that could lead to increase risk there, and you know,
maybe if you're bad, it isn't so great and you're
not taking care of yourself. Those are risk factors, and
so the same is true for suicide. We want to
make sure that you know, if you can identify the
risk factors that can help you become more proactive and
implement some protective factors you know, into your life that
(17:25):
will keep you more safe and maybe keep your loved
ones more safe as well too. So it goes over
risk factors as well as protective factors. And then it
gets into warning signs, you know, some of which are
quite obvious that I don't think would surprise anyone, and
others not so much. So it teaches the audience about
those and then what we just relaunched this program and
something that was just added to it which I'm really
(17:46):
excited about, is it talks about not just encouraging you
to reach out, but how to because we know that
can be really really challenging, and it can be awkward
and uncomfortable, and while people may want to reach out,
they may not feel like they have the tools to
actually do that in a helpful and productive way. So
we talk a little bit about that to train the
(18:07):
audience on how to have a productive, caring conversation with
someone they're worried about, and then what to do depending
on how that conversation goes, and where to find support
and long term care if needed, and of course if
you need a media crisis response, what to do. So
that is my favorite program, hands down, and we have
several different modules of that for different populations. We have
(18:30):
it for the LGBTQ community. We have a version of
it for Hispanic and LATINX populations. It's also available in Spanish.
And we have another program, who Is, which is relatively
similar to the tok Save Lives program as well, that
launched about a year ago and it's called Let's Save Lives,
and it's specifically for Black and African American communities as
(18:51):
well too. So those are some of our most amazing programs,
appropriate for any adult audience that's interested in it. And
I would be remiss if I didn't point out that
we actually have a new program that's about to launch
similar to Talk to Save Lives, only it's specific for
the construction industry. So that's coming out very soon and
(19:13):
we're excited to bring that to the community as well.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Can you expand a little bit on that, though, Can
you expand on that? Tell us a little bit why
you're in the construction industry, because I'm very curious about that.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yeah, absolutely so. According to CDC, we know through data
and research that when it comes to occupational risk for suicide,
the construction and extraction industries are It's the number one
cause of death within this population. And so we want
to make sure that we are delivering not just you know,
general education programs like Talk Save Vibes, but culturally competent
(19:48):
programs that really speak to that community to make sure
that we're connecting with them, we're understanding what's going on
in those communities. And now that we have some research
to understand maybe some of the ways that can struction
industry has different type of risk factors and maybe less
protective factors in some ways, and then opposed to other populations.
(20:10):
And so because we know that there is such a
high rate of suicide in that population, we want to
make sure that we are speaking to them, connecting with them,
serving them, and ultimately saving lives within that population.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
All right, well, thanks for sharing that. I really appreciate that.
I think it's a great time and a good segue
because you've kind of hinted at a few times about
donations and we should tell people that there are different
kinds of levels. I know that you partner with small, medium,
and large businesses whether it's annually or they want to
sponsor maybe an event of yours or a gala coming
up or anything like that. But also you know, if
you want to do a one time donation or do everything,
(20:43):
you know once a month, you can get on a
payment plan. There's lots of different ways. So can you
go over those for everybody?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yeah, for sure. So one of the main ways that individuals, organizations,
businesses get involved is through all of those community events
that we were talking about. Earlier construction Height for Pause
for Prevention, which is an event we actually have coming
up in June that is for dogs and they're dog owners,
they're humans. Through Pause for Prevention, through our community and
(21:13):
campus walls, there's sponsorship opportunities, there's volunteer opportunities, there's individual giving,
peer to peer fundraising, and those events are really what
truly funds our mission. You know, we're really proud that
most of our funding comes through our supporters, which is huge,
and we actually take very little federal funding, which gives
(21:34):
us some autonomy and allows us to stay true to
who we are and what we do as an organization
and our mission. And so through these events that we're
really able to fund our research, our programs, our mission work,
our advocacy, everything that is that we are as an
organization and provide all these things at no cost to
our community. And so we are absolutely looking for sponsorships
(21:54):
and we will give you all sorts of wonderful brand
recognition across all of our class forms. But then if
you want to sign up as a participant or form
a team, you can certainly give a gift yourself through
those events, invite your friends to join and walk with you,
or hike with you, or whatever it may be. Those
are really truly our biggest fundraisers. But if those events
(22:16):
aren't for you, that's fine too. If you go to
the National Capital Area Chapter's website, which is a FSP
dot org slash n the AC for National Capital Area Chapter,
you can go and you can sign up to be
a repeat donor or give a one time gift, whatever
you may be, whatever is right for you, that's totally fine.
And if nothing that I'm mentioning sounds like it's a
(22:38):
good fit for you, my beautiful mug is up there
along with my contact information. And I say that jokingly.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Obviously, but you can just shoot me an email and
I'd be happy to connect with anyone to talk about
how to get involved in any capacity, whether it's sponsorship, volunteering,
you know, having an educational program, attending one, doing a
third party event, and participating in.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
One of our walks, you name it. I'm happy to
talk to anyone and you know, figure out the white
way for you to get involved, because we want everybody
to be a part of this movement.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
And there's a big fat blue button that says donate
now that you can miss on the right side of
the website, so on top so you can't miss it. Whatsoever.
You mentioned volunteering and I know volunteering is obviously a
really big deal when it comes to your events and
other things you do. Is there a criteria to being
a volunteer and how do people actually get to be
a volunteer of anything that you have to offer?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yeah, so that same website I just mentioned AFSP dot org,
slash NCAC, there's also a big volunteer button and on
there there's a quick little questionnaire that you can fill out.
It's just an opportunity for us to get to know
you and your passions and interest areas and level of commitment.
You can volunteer for an hour or you know, one
(23:51):
hour a week, or at an event one time a year,
or you can join a committee or become a board member.
There's there's a plethora of opportunities to volunteer with our organization.
But once you fill out that volunteer application, it connects
you with our volunteer chair who will reach out to
you the email and try to set up a call
to get to know you a little bit and answer
any questions you may have, and then you just go
(24:12):
from there. But we have opportunities all across the chapter.
And we are a voluntary organization. I know I haven't
said that yet before, but here at our local chapter,
we have a pretty big footprint. You know, we serve
all of Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, which is millions
of people. But we only have two staff member It's
me and my colleague, Kelly Mahoney. And other than that,
(24:35):
we are volunteer led. We have a volunteer board of directors.
Every program, every event we have is led and run
by our volunteer base. Day of event. Volunteers make all
over our events possible. Our programs, we train volunteers in
the community to become presenters and to deliver them. So
we really do rely on our volunteers to drive our
(24:57):
mission and to connect with our community. And and I
certainly know we can't do it by ourselves. It's just
not possible. There's too much of a need. And we
have such a diversity, diversity in our community that we
need to serve, and so we really need volunteers. And
I really hope you know, if you're an individual listening,
you have an organization you're a part of, you know
(25:18):
whether it's a place of worship, a community group, a school.
We engage with schools at you know, elementary and middle,
high school, colleges, universities, you name it, whatever it may be, businesses.
We'd love to come and have you be a part
of our community because we can only do this if
we work together.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Agreed, Allen. We only have about three four minutes left
and if you could indulge me, I know that you
know you and I could talk for hours about some
of the great stories that come out of all the
darkness that you see. And I kind of equit you
and your staff to being doctors that you know, there's
a lot of bad news that you hear, but also
out of the bad news comes some great stories of
hope and moving forward and persevering with the people that
(25:54):
are by themselves or families or friends with that said,
is there something since I've last seen you it kind
of touched you? And you said, you know, this is
why we get up every day as something that moved you,
an amazing story that that really touched your heart in
you and your team.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Yeah, you know, I'm actually I'm going to share a
little bit different of a story this time. If you'll
let me sure, please. So this week I was at
George Mason University, which I am a two time alumnus of,
and I was tabling there and I was meeting with
so many students and some of the counselors that were there,
(26:30):
and you know, administrators and teachers, and it was such
a surreal experience for me because when I was in
college and I was a student, and I'm dating myself,
but this was twenty something years ago, and I was
really struggling with my mental health very much so as
a student. And you know, back in the early two
thousands and late nineties, you couldn't just hop on your
(26:51):
phone and Google this, and there, certainly at the time
was so much more stigma and less resources and less
search and data and programs, and AFSP was a much
smaller organization back then, truth be told. And so just
being there and tabling and sharing AFSP's resources and having
(27:14):
students and all these other people come up to our
table and interact with me was so moving. I was
so grateful because you know, it was my own experience
that first attracted me to the organization. Because when I
started learning about everything we have to offer, and I've
been here eight years now, so when I first came
to a FSP eight years ago, and learning that you know,
(27:36):
this is a preventable leading cause of death, there is
a help out there, there is hope, there's resources, there's support.
You know, it shouldn't be something that I was ashamed
of for so very long. And just knowing that I
was there connecting with all these people and having you know,
these young adults come up to me and say thank you,
thank you for being here and making connections with so
many of them. It really it was such a full
(27:59):
circle moment for me that it was like, this is
what brought me here in the first place, and I
am back to where I came from, showing up as
you know, a leader in our community for this and
truly going back and serving my own stopping grounds and
you know, doing what I can to make sure that
students at you know, my old school and you know,
all across the area never have to experience what I did.
(28:22):
And you know, and now I'm a parent, and you know,
it even means more to me. And so it was
such a wonderful experience. And the other partasy that there
was when the when the students were coming up to
me and even the faculty. There was so much less
stigma than I remember, and so it really showed me
that we are making a difference, we are starting to
(28:43):
see that cultural shift. And I was not the only
mental health organization there either. There was a lot of
resources present there. So it was really really wonderful experience
to well, that's great.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
I'm glad you share that. I think a passion and
being an alumnus and all the things that you do,
I can see why that hit home. And as a
father of a twenty two year old that just graduated
last year, I'm so glad that there's an organization like
yours out there because my daughter's peer group, I just
you know, it's it's on fire, and not in a
good way, you know, between social media and all the
things that they have to deal with. As you know,
(29:16):
I know your children are younger, but I'm just telling
you it is it's tough out there for young people, folks,
and I'm so glad that AFSP is out there. Let's
do this. We have to go, but let's give the
website one more time, and then of course we're going
to revisit with you again in the fall when some
other things come up, But what's that website? One more time, Ellen,
for everybody.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
It's af SP dot org slash nc AC outstanding.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
It's great to talk to you, and we see each
other on teams. It's usually the only way Ellen and
I see each other unless she comes by for drive
by at iHeart in Rockville. But listen, thanks for everything.
Thank you to all that you and your team do.
We're just so appreciative and we're just we're just elated
that you're partners with Iheardmedia here in d C. Thank
you so much for joining us on Community DC once.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Again, Thank you Dennis. The feelings all
Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Community d C.
I'm your host Dennis Glasgow. This morning we get a
chance to welcome once again from the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention and it's executive director, Ellen Shannon. And with
next month and May being Mental Health Awareness Month, it's
a great time to talk about everything that is AFSP,
not only what they do in May, but year round.
(00:24):
And remember to all our listeners, if you, a friend,
a family member, or a coworker are in need of
emotional support, please reach out to the nine to eight
eight Lifeline. Here's my conversation with Ellen. I hope you
enjoy it as much as I did.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Good morning, Ellen, Good morning Dennis.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
It's great to have you back. And as I said
in the intro AFSP National Capitol Area and you specifically
and your team are partners with iHeart here in DC,
and we love being partners with you, and I thank
you so much for that, and especially DC one on
one two, which of course this show can be heard
on in all six of our iHeartMedia DC stations. There
are a lot of people though that probably don't know
(01:02):
as much as they probably should have about AFSP National
Capital Area. So could you give an overview what you
guys actually.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Do absolutely well. First of all, I want to say
thank you for having me back. This is such a
pleasure to be here, and we cannot be more grateful
for the support of iHeartMedia and DC one on one
in all the stations, so thank you for that. For
those of you who are listening and may not be
so familiar with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention otherwise
(01:28):
known as AFSP, we are the largest organization dedicated to
our mission to save lives and bring hope to those
affected by suicide. So no matter where you may be
listening from, we have a nationwide presence. In fact, we
have now seventy three chapters in all fifty states, BC
and Puerto Rico. So wherever you are, you can absolutely
(01:49):
connect to your local chapter, your streaming live or anything
like that. But through our organization, we are the leaders
in suicide prevention and that is something we're really proud of.
Know that this is a leading cause of death, but
at the same time, we know it's preventable, and the
four main ways in which we fight this leading cause
of death is through funding vital research. In fact, AFSP
(02:14):
is the largest private funder of suicide prevention research in
the world, which is so vital because we know that
if we can answer the question why do people die
by suicide, we know that we can save lives undoubtedly.
And then from that research, we actually develop educational programs
at the national level by the leading researchers in the field.
(02:35):
And these programs are developed by our organization and then
disseminated to our communities through our chapters at no cost
to our constituent, which is so vital because we want
to make sure everyone has access to this life saving information.
And also we have programs and resources not just for
the general public, but for a variety of demographic because
(02:57):
we know that not only does mental health impact everyone,
but at the same time, we know that certain populations
are impacted in different ways, whether that's cultural background or
maybe by age. There's a variety of different ways in
which different demographics are impacted, and we want to make
sure that we're connecting with all communities because again, all
communities have mental health. We also advocate at the national, state,
(03:21):
and local level, working with hundreds of thousand volunteer advocates
all across the country to advocate for policies with our
elected officials that we know we'll save lives. And so
to give you an example of one of the policies
that we're very proud of is nine to eighty eight.
So anyone who's listening who may not be familiar with
nine to eight eight, it is the three digit number
(03:43):
to the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. That number used
to be one eight hundred two seven three eight two
five five, which I'll be honest with you, I'm shocked
I can even remember that. And I do this for
my job day in and day out, but that's a
really long phone number, and I can't imagine anyone would
be able to memorize that or remember it during especially
(04:04):
during a moment of crisis, right, And so we advocated
for that for many years, and a couple of years
ago we got it fined unaniously into law, and now
nine to eighty eight is available all across the country
twenty four seven three sixty five. But that's just one
example of the many laws that we're working on and
have worked on in the past, that we know will
save lives. And then the fourth way in which we
(04:27):
serve our mission is by providing support for survivors of
suicide law. Unfortunately, we know that statistically speaking, someone who
has been exposed to suicide or has lost somebody close
to them, unfortunately, that increase for themselves for suicide and
so we want to make sure that we are truly
supporting that population and supporting them through their grief journey.
(04:50):
A lot of people, due to stigma that have experienced
to suicide laws, may not feel like others around them
have experience similar type of losses, or maybe they're not
comfortable sharing their story because they may feel that themselves
or maybe their loved one will be judged. But unfortunately,
we know that the majority of Americans at some point
(05:12):
in their lives are impacted by suicide, and so we
don't want anyone to greethe in isolation. We want them
to make sure that they know that there is support
out there. They are not alone and there's a whole
community to support you. And that's true. They're our organization
as well standing.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Well, thanks for all of that, Ellen, I know that
my next question is always sobering, but we have to
talk about it when it comes to current statistics about
died by suicide. When it comes to the DMV or
even national statistics. What are we looking at right now?
I know the number is going up down or are
they about even right now?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
So most recently in which we have CDC data, the
suicide really rates decline for the first time in twenty nineteen,
and unfortunately since then the data we have out of
the CDC that they have started to rise once against pandemic.
And so that's really quite staggering and quite disappointing obviously,
(06:07):
and you know, we're just here fighting the good fight,
trying to prevent this leading cause of death because again
we know this is preventable and everybody can play a
role in creating a culture that's smarter about mental health.
But we're looking at about more than forty nine thousand
people are lost in the United States each year to suicide.
But that's that's the only statistic that we're looking at.
(06:29):
We also know that more than a million people in
the United States every year survive a suicide attempt, and
many of those people, through their healing journey and finding
support and mental health care, can go on to live
very long live and so we want to make sure
we're supporting those with lived experience as well. And then
the other part of that we're looking at as well too,
(06:51):
is that for every suicide loss, we know that more
than one hundred and thirty individuals in that person's network,
so we're talking about co workers, friends, family members, loved
ones are then impacted by that suicide loss. So again,
you know, looking at it from those we've lost to suicide,
those with lived experience, and those who have been impacted
(07:13):
by suicide laws. And of course you know, let's not
forget those who are caretakers and support those who struggle
and have lived experience. This is really something that impacts
all of us.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
When it comes to demographics, I'm going to make an assumption,
but I want you to correct me if I'm wrong
that when it comes to died by suicide that it
doesn't discriminate on any age, sex, color, creed anything. Am
I right about that? Or is there something a little
bit more predominant when you start looking at all the statistics.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
So we know that there is no demographic that is
immune for myth, right, you know, even small children can
lose parents to suicide and loved when they're caretakers, so
there is no while there is no demographic that is
you know FAEF from suicide at the same in time.
There are different demographics that are impacted at disproportionate rate,
(08:04):
and so when we're looking at different statistics. We know
that white males in the Singer's population, so sixty five
and above, are at the most highest risk for suicide
in our community, and that's for a variety of reasons.
We also know that young men of color, we're looking
at that population very closely. Unfortunately, those rates are starting
(08:26):
to rise, and we're really looking into the research of
answering why that is happening. We also know that members
of the LGBTQ population, not because they identify as LGBTQ plus,
but because of how they may be marginalized or discriminated against,
that can lead to increased risk for suicide within those populations.
And I can certainly go on and on, but it's
(08:49):
really important to think about this not just on a
macro level, but how this can impact different populations at
disproportionate rate.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
You're doing so many great things, and we've got a
lot to cover in the remaining time we have in
our thirty minute children for volunteering events, programs, some updates,
how to donate, that's a real big one. And you're
out of darkness walks too. Let's start with events. I
know you've got several that are ongoing their annual but
you've got some coming up in the next couple months.
And May is also a big month for you too.
(09:18):
I know every month is big, but May especially.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Right absolutely so, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and
we are so excited for that time of year because
not only is it a great opportunity to raise awareness
about mental health and suicide prevention, but we have so
many exciting things coming out and going on to engage
our community and to get people involved. So this May,
(09:41):
we are so excited to launch a brand new event
that we have coming. It is on May thirty first,
and it's going to be at River Bend Park in
Great Falls, Virginia, and it is our first ever Construction
Hike for Hope. And we're so so excited about this
event because we know, according to CDC data that when
(10:03):
we're looking at occupational risk for suicide, the construction and
extraction industries are the most impacted and in fact, it
is the number one leading cause of death in both
of those populations. So we know that this is a
community that we need to be working with, connecting with, engaging,
and ultimately serving because we know that they are so
(10:25):
at risk for this, and so we're inviting everyone to
come out, especially members of the construction industry and that
include businesses, trade associations, individuals, you name it, to come
out and join us for our Construction Hype for Hope.
It's going to be a beautiful day at Riverbend Park.
We're going to have resources there, We're going to go
on a beautiful pike along the Potomac River. We're even
(10:46):
going to have a picnic afterwards for everyone who joins this,
including family members. So it's going to be a really
wonderful day and we really hope to connect with all
these organizations that are going to join us to get
our programs and our resources out into the construction industry
well to make sure that we're supporting them in the
long term.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So about a year ago, I had a chance to
meet somebody from Texas that had lost her brother I
believe died by suicide, and she was participating in these
out of Darkness walks and she had an extraordinary story.
And you can remind me who that was we were
talking to if you were called that. But I do
want you to talk about the Out of Darkness Walks,
because out of all the things you do, I think
it's one of the coolest things to do of bringing
(11:23):
people back together with fellowship and celebrating the people that
are still here and grieving and going through that process
and being able to relate each other to just go
day by day. Can you talk a little bit about
those for sure?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
So we have Out of the Darkness Community Walks. They
typically happen in the fall. For our chapter, they happened
between September and October, but as we were talking about
a minute ago, they which is Mental Health Awareness Month,
is when we really kick off Out of the Darkness
Walk season. So that's when we're inviting people to come
out to register for these events, to sign up to volunteer,
(11:57):
come on as sponsors, attend or kickoff parties that we
have for these and then we do lots of awareness
raising and fundraising all throughout the summer leading up to
the fall, and then the events themselves. The actual walks
kickoff in September, which is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and
so our first walk is going to be in Prince
William County on September seventh at Harris Pavilion. Our second
(12:22):
walk of the season will be on September twentieth, which
is our Loudon Out of the Darkness Walk, and that's
going to be at one Loudon. I'm really excited about
this year's Fairfax Out of the Darkness Walk, which is
going to be October fourth. We're going to be at
a brand new location in the Mosaic District, and we
are so so excited about this because I think it's
going to be so fabulous. But that is going to
(12:42):
be October fourth in Fairfax, Virgina. And then our biggest
event of the year, which is the Washington DC Out
of the Darkness Walk, is going to be at the
Lincoln Memorial on October eighteenth. And so the one thing
I can say about these events is they all kim
ov are our largest community events of the year. They
are free, There is no fundraising minimum to participate. Yes,
(13:05):
they are fundraisers, but we want to make sure that
everyone can be part of the movement that to save lives,
to stop suicide, to create a culture that's smart about
mental health. So we want to make sure that they
are inclusive and they are accessible, and that everybody comes
out and stands with us and walks with us to
save lives and bring hook to those affected by suicide.
(13:26):
And so no matter who you are, please join us,
Please sign up. All of these events can be found
at AFSP dot org slash walk. Again at af SP
dot org slash walk. If you go there you can
find our local events as well as more than five
hundred walks that are taking place nationwide. So again, no
(13:48):
matter where you're listening from, you can find a walk
near you standing.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Thanks for all that, Ellen, it is a great website.
And speaking of which, I was looking at some of
the featured programs that you have, and I know that
there are three that are kind of highlighted, and I'd
like you to talk maybe just a synopsis of each
one and what it means to you and what they
actually do. You've got Talk Saves Lives. It's real, and
then more than sad. Can you talk about all three
for us?
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yeah, for sure, So Talk Saved Lives. I'll start there
because it is by far our most popular program. I
love this program so so much. It's appropriate for any
adult audience. That we're talking is for eighteen year old
eighteen year olds and above. And it's a wonderful introduction
to suicide prevention and to give you a quick synopsis
(14:33):
of what it's all about, it is it's about an
hour long, so it's great for a lunch and learn
or to come and do it for an organization or
business or school, you name it. We'll come and meet
you wherever you are and we can do it virtually
or in person. But it's an hour long presentation and
it really is an introductory course to teach you about, like,
first of all, what is suicide. You know a lot
(14:55):
of people misunderstand what this is as a complex health issue,
and that's what it is. It's a health issue, right,
and so it sets the stage with really defining what
suicide is and how many people this impacts. One of
the things I really love about this program is it
highlights the importance of how we talk about suicide and
(15:15):
mental health and that there are safe ways to talk
about it and there are unsafe ways to talk about it.
So some examples of I know you and I have
had this conversation before, is we want to use words
and phrases in our everyday life that breaks down stigma
and encourages help speaking and so one of the things
that I've found really interesting when I first came to
(15:35):
AFSC is that we try to avoid using the term
commit it. And frankly, when I first learned that, I
was really surprised. It's something I had never really thought
about before. But when you're use the word committed, first
of all, the term committed has judgment implied and attached
to it. But you don't talk about any other health
(15:55):
condition by using the term committed. You wouldn't say somebody
committed cancer or somebody committed heart disease. And we know
that this is a health condition, so we should talk
about it as much so using terms like died by
suicide or killed themselves, you know, just very plain, factual language,
and other things like talking about how someone died by
suicide could actually be quite dangerous, talking about lethal means
(16:19):
or using graphic imagery or anything along those lines, and
things along those lines. So just using safe speaking, don't
ever joke about it, don't use it flippantly in everyday language,
because we really don't want to joke about this. This
is something that is very serious and it does impact
so many people, and so it talks about how we
can all speak about this in a more safe way.
(16:41):
And then it gets into who's impacted a little bit
about how different demographics are impacted in different ways, and
then it gets into what I call like the meat
and potatoes of the presentation. And then it gets into
some risk factors and knowing what those are. So just
like heart disease, for instance, if you knew you had
a family history of it, or you had you know,
(17:03):
higher rates than you know cholesterol, you know, anything like that,
that could lead to increase risk there, and you know,
maybe if you're bad, it isn't so great and you're
not taking care of yourself. Those are risk factors, and
so the same is true for suicide. We want to
make sure that you know, if you can identify the
risk factors that can help you become more proactive and
implement some protective factors you know, into your life that
(17:25):
will keep you more safe and maybe keep your loved
ones more safe as well too. So it goes over
risk factors as well as protective factors. And then it
gets into warning signs, you know, some of which are
quite obvious that I don't think would surprise anyone, and
others not so much. So it teaches the audience about
those and then what we just relaunched this program and
something that was just added to it which I'm really
(17:46):
excited about, is it talks about not just encouraging you
to reach out, but how to because we know that
can be really really challenging, and it can be awkward
and uncomfortable, and while people may want to reach out,
they may not feel like they have the tools to
actually do that in a helpful and productive way. So
we talk a little bit about that to train the
(18:07):
audience on how to have a productive, caring conversation with
someone they're worried about, and then what to do depending
on how that conversation goes, and where to find support
and long term care if needed, and of course if
you need a media crisis response, what to do. So
that is my favorite program, hands down, and we have
several different modules of that for different populations. We have
(18:30):
it for the LGBTQ community. We have a version of
it for Hispanic and LATINX populations. It's also available in Spanish.
And we have another program, who Is, which is relatively
similar to the tok Save Lives program as well, that
launched about a year ago and it's called Let's Save Lives,
and it's specifically for Black and African American communities as
(18:51):
well too. So those are some of our most amazing programs,
appropriate for any adult audience that's interested in it. And
I would be remiss if I didn't point out that
we actually have a new program that's about to launch
similar to Talk to Save Lives, only it's specific for
the construction industry. So that's coming out very soon and
(19:13):
we're excited to bring that to the community as well.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Can you expand a little bit on that, though, Can
you expand on that? Tell us a little bit why
you're in the construction industry, because I'm very curious about that.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yeah, absolutely so. According to CDC, we know through data
and research that when it comes to occupational risk for suicide,
the construction and extraction industries are It's the number one
cause of death within this population. And so we want
to make sure that we are delivering not just you know,
general education programs like Talk Save Vibes, but culturally competent
(19:48):
programs that really speak to that community to make sure
that we're connecting with them, we're understanding what's going on
in those communities. And now that we have some research
to understand maybe some of the ways that can struction
industry has different type of risk factors and maybe less
protective factors in some ways, and then opposed to other populations.
(20:10):
And so because we know that there is such a
high rate of suicide in that population, we want to
make sure that we are speaking to them, connecting with them,
serving them, and ultimately saving lives within that population.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
All right, well, thanks for sharing that. I really appreciate that.
I think it's a great time and a good segue
because you've kind of hinted at a few times about
donations and we should tell people that there are different
kinds of levels. I know that you partner with small, medium,
and large businesses whether it's annually or they want to
sponsor maybe an event of yours or a gala coming
up or anything like that. But also you know, if
you want to do a one time donation or do everything,
(20:43):
you know once a month, you can get on a
payment plan. There's lots of different ways. So can you
go over those for everybody?
Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yeah, for sure. So one of the main ways that individuals, organizations,
businesses get involved is through all of those community events
that we were talking about. Earlier construction Height for Pause
for Prevention, which is an event we actually have coming
up in June that is for dogs and they're dog owners,
they're humans. Through Pause for Prevention, through our community and
(21:13):
campus walls, there's sponsorship opportunities, there's volunteer opportunities, there's individual giving,
peer to peer fundraising, and those events are really what
truly funds our mission. You know, we're really proud that
most of our funding comes through our supporters, which is huge,
and we actually take very little federal funding, which gives
(21:34):
us some autonomy and allows us to stay true to
who we are and what we do as an organization
and our mission. And so through these events that we're
really able to fund our research, our programs, our mission work,
our advocacy, everything that is that we are as an
organization and provide all these things at no cost to
our community. And so we are absolutely looking for sponsorships
(21:54):
and we will give you all sorts of wonderful brand
recognition across all of our class forms. But then if
you want to sign up as a participant or form
a team, you can certainly give a gift yourself through
those events, invite your friends to join and walk with you,
or hike with you, or whatever it may be. Those
are really truly our biggest fundraisers. But if those events
(22:16):
aren't for you, that's fine too. If you go to
the National Capital Area Chapter's website, which is a FSP
dot org slash n the AC for National Capital Area Chapter,
you can go and you can sign up to be
a repeat donor or give a one time gift, whatever
you may be, whatever is right for you, that's totally fine.
And if nothing that I'm mentioning sounds like it's a
(22:38):
good fit for you, my beautiful mug is up there
along with my contact information. And I say that jokingly.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Obviously, but you can just shoot me an email and
I'd be happy to connect with anyone to talk about
how to get involved in any capacity, whether it's sponsorship, volunteering,
you know, having an educational program, attending one, doing a
third party event, and participating in.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
One of our walks, you name it. I'm happy to
talk to anyone and you know, figure out the white
way for you to get involved, because we want everybody
to be a part of this movement.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
And there's a big fat blue button that says donate
now that you can miss on the right side of
the website, so on top so you can't miss it. Whatsoever.
You mentioned volunteering and I know volunteering is obviously a
really big deal when it comes to your events and
other things you do. Is there a criteria to being
a volunteer and how do people actually get to be
a volunteer of anything that you have to offer?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yeah, so that same website I just mentioned AFSP dot org,
slash NCAC, there's also a big volunteer button and on
there there's a quick little questionnaire that you can fill out.
It's just an opportunity for us to get to know
you and your passions and interest areas and level of commitment.
You can volunteer for an hour or you know, one
(23:51):
hour a week, or at an event one time a year,
or you can join a committee or become a board member.
There's there's a plethora of opportunities to volunteer with our organization.
But once you fill out that volunteer application, it connects
you with our volunteer chair who will reach out to
you the email and try to set up a call
to get to know you a little bit and answer
any questions you may have, and then you just go
(24:12):
from there. But we have opportunities all across the chapter.
And we are a voluntary organization. I know I haven't
said that yet before, but here at our local chapter,
we have a pretty big footprint. You know, we serve
all of Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, which is millions
of people. But we only have two staff member It's
me and my colleague, Kelly Mahoney. And other than that,
(24:35):
we are volunteer led. We have a volunteer board of directors.
Every program, every event we have is led and run
by our volunteer base. Day of event. Volunteers make all
over our events possible. Our programs, we train volunteers in
the community to become presenters and to deliver them. So
we really do rely on our volunteers to drive our
(24:57):
mission and to connect with our community. And and I
certainly know we can't do it by ourselves. It's just
not possible. There's too much of a need. And we
have such a diversity, diversity in our community that we
need to serve, and so we really need volunteers. And
I really hope you know, if you're an individual listening,
you have an organization you're a part of, you know
(25:18):
whether it's a place of worship, a community group, a school.
We engage with schools at you know, elementary and middle,
high school, colleges, universities, you name it, whatever it may be, businesses.
We'd love to come and have you be a part
of our community because we can only do this if
we work together.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Agreed, Allen. We only have about three four minutes left
and if you could indulge me, I know that you
know you and I could talk for hours about some
of the great stories that come out of all the
darkness that you see. And I kind of equit you
and your staff to being doctors that you know, there's
a lot of bad news that you hear, but also
out of the bad news comes some great stories of
hope and moving forward and persevering with the people that
(25:54):
are by themselves or families or friends with that said,
is there something since I've last seen you it kind
of touched you? And you said, you know, this is
why we get up every day as something that moved you,
an amazing story that that really touched your heart in
you and your team.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Yeah, you know, I'm actually I'm going to share a
little bit different of a story this time. If you'll
let me sure, please. So this week I was at
George Mason University, which I am a two time alumnus of,
and I was tabling there and I was meeting with
so many students and some of the counselors that were there,
(26:30):
and you know, administrators and teachers, and it was such
a surreal experience for me because when I was in
college and I was a student, and I'm dating myself,
but this was twenty something years ago, and I was
really struggling with my mental health very much so as
a student. And you know, back in the early two
thousands and late nineties, you couldn't just hop on your
(26:51):
phone and Google this, and there, certainly at the time
was so much more stigma and less resources and less
search and data and programs, and AFSP was a much
smaller organization back then, truth be told. And so just
being there and tabling and sharing AFSP's resources and having
(27:14):
students and all these other people come up to our
table and interact with me was so moving. I was
so grateful because you know, it was my own experience
that first attracted me to the organization. Because when I
started learning about everything we have to offer, and I've
been here eight years now, so when I first came
to a FSP eight years ago, and learning that you know,
(27:36):
this is a preventable leading cause of death, there is
a help out there, there is hope, there's resources, there's support.
You know, it shouldn't be something that I was ashamed
of for so very long. And just knowing that I
was there connecting with all these people and having you know,
these young adults come up to me and say thank you,
thank you for being here and making connections with so
many of them. It really it was such a full
(27:59):
circle moment for me that it was like, this is
what brought me here in the first place, and I
am back to where I came from, showing up as
you know, a leader in our community for this and
truly going back and serving my own stopping grounds and
you know, doing what I can to make sure that
students at you know, my old school and you know,
all across the area never have to experience what I did.
(28:22):
And you know, and now I'm a parent, and you know,
it even means more to me. And so it was
such a wonderful experience. And the other partasy that there
was when the when the students were coming up to
me and even the faculty. There was so much less
stigma than I remember, and so it really showed me
that we are making a difference, we are starting to
(28:43):
see that cultural shift. And I was not the only
mental health organization there either. There was a lot of
resources present there. So it was really really wonderful experience
to well, that's great.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
I'm glad you share that. I think a passion and
being an alumnus and all the things that you do,
I can see why that hit home. And as a
father of a twenty two year old that just graduated
last year, I'm so glad that there's an organization like
yours out there because my daughter's peer group, I just
you know, it's it's on fire, and not in a
good way, you know, between social media and all the
things that they have to deal with. As you know,
(29:16):
I know your children are younger, but I'm just telling
you it is it's tough out there for young people, folks,
and I'm so glad that AFSP is out there. Let's
do this. We have to go, but let's give the
website one more time, and then of course we're going
to revisit with you again in the fall when some
other things come up, But what's that website? One more time, Ellen,
for everybody.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
It's af SP dot org slash nc AC outstanding.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
It's great to talk to you, and we see each
other on teams. It's usually the only way Ellen and
I see each other unless she comes by for drive
by at iHeart in Rockville. But listen, thanks for everything.
Thank you to all that you and your team do.
We're just so appreciative and we're just we're just elated
that you're partners with Iheardmedia here in d C. Thank
you so much for joining us on Community DC once.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Again, Thank you Dennis. The feelings all
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