Dear editor,
Since 2009, there have been 17 suicides in the Comox Valley and recently even more have devastated our community.
Since the most recent tragedy, people have been very proactive about suicide prevention; several groups have been started on Facebook, counsellors have visited schools and given presentations on how to recognize the signs of someone who is suicidal. However, I think that one thing that the community could really use is a 24-hour local hotline to provide constant aid for those in need.
Just a while ago, the Crossroads Crisis Centre was able to provide a hotline for the people of the Comox Valley. However, due to lack of funding, they had to close down their local number and are now part of an Island-wide 1-800 hotline.
The main problem with this is that when people call in they are put on hold or told to call back later. I find this to be very counter-productive in the fight for suicide prevention.
I feel that the Valley is in dire need of a local Help Hotline to provide 24-hour service to people who need someone to confide in; an open ear for people who sometimes just need someone else to listen.
An important aspect of this hotline would be to provide information on other organizations that could better help individuals with specific problems, such as addiction, abuse and depression. This hotline would play the role of a train station to those in need, somewhere where they could essentially board the train to the next big stop on their way to recovery.
The Comox Valley has the opportunity to win a grant of up to $10,000 to help fund this idea. Please sign in to www.avivacommunityfund.org to vote for the Comox Valley 24-hour Help Hotline (search for idea 12840) and help provide support for those who don’t have any!
This is a Canada-wide competition for the award of this grant, so please pass the message along to your friends and family. Every vote counts!
Alaia Fayad,
Comox
Editor’s note: Alaia Fayad is making this appeal of behalf of Mark R. Isfeld Secondary School.
