Today, September 10, 2014, the World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) co-sponsors World Suicide Prevention Day. To commemorate this day, the MSW@USC invites you to participate in the 100 Voices for Suicide Prevention campaign. Around the world, suicide is a major public health problem and is the leading cause of death for young people. Worldwide, nearly one million people succumb to suicide each year, a number that exceeds deaths from war and homicide combined. This year marks the 12th anniversary of World Suicide Prevention Day with the theme “One World Connected.” In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week, we hope you’ll participate in as many of these #suicideprevention events as you can. 

Last year, I participated in the National Suicide Prevention Blog Carnival with the written version of my post, What If I'd Said, "Just Drive?" This year, I stepped on a stage with my fellow cast members in NW Indiana to read that same piece before a living, breathing audience for Listen to Your Mother 2014. Many of the five years of Listen to Your Mother videos deal with topics of depression, including single parenting, postpartum and suicide, with common themes of survival and hope threaded throughout, because, let's face it, as wonderful as it often is, motherhood can be hard. It can also be tears-streaming-down-your-face hilarious, as evidenced by Liesl Testwuide of Hairpin Turns Ahead and Robyn Jackson Welling of Hollow Tree Ventures reading two of my favorites. I watch them whenever I need a laugh. Many days I've sought the laughter these delightful women inspire, especially after our collective laughter stopped recently when Robin Williams lost his battle with depression, and took his own life. Don't let that happen to you. Seek and celebrate the laughter, reach out, and if you're a survivor like me, I hope you'll get involved. 

For this special day of awareness and action, and for single moms everywhere, here's my video:

I find solace in my children. I find solace in getting involved in, advocating, and celebrating my local community. I find solace in reaching out and not being alone. There are many ways you can participate in what's left of today, this week, and the rest of this month. I love the #TheSemiColonProject, because it's geared to writers. This post by Denise Drespling explaining what the semi-colon means. And Denise has some great strategies for mental health wellness in her video on today's post. Follow along and Tweet your semi-colon, real or Sharpied. 

Here's mine:

National Suicide Prevention Week Schedule of Events:

Sunday, September 7, 7pm PT/10pm ET: MSW@USC’s community manager @GabyAcosta101 will serve as a special guest on the Suicide Prevention Social Media Twitter Chat #SPSM. Join her for a conversation about how we can leverage new media and virtual campaigns to raise awareness around Suicide Prevention. 

Monday, September 8: Today is the 100 Voices for Suicide Prevention Kick-off! Over 45 leading voices in the suicide prevention field have contributed guest posts, podcast interviews, PSA’s, and resources to help raise awareness in honor of Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. We ask that you share this project to help promote the work that our collaborators are doing to prevent suicide in their communities. 

Tuesday, September 9: Check out the “You Matter” project. This early-intervention campaign aims to to facilitate human connections in order to promote positive mental health. According to the IASP, connectedness is crucial to individuals who may be vulnerable to suicide. Studies have shown that social isolation can increase the risk of suicide and, conversely, that having strong human bonds can be protective against it. Reaching out to those who have become disconnected from others and offering them support and friendship may be a life-saving act.

Wednesday, September 10: Today is World Suicide Prevention Day! Follow the International Association of Suicide Prevention on Facebook for updates on their WSPD events.

Thursday, September 11, 6pm PT/9pm ET: @MSWatUSC will be moderating the #MacroSW tweet chat to discuss ways we can synchronize suicide prevention efforts between individuals and organizations around the country. RSVP for this event here.

Friday, September 12: Join us for a #NSPW Follow Friday! Tweet and mention individuals and organizations who you want to recognize as leaders in #suicideprevention and awareness advocacy work.

Spread the Word On Social Media:

For Collaborators:

Sample Tweet: I’m joining @MSWatUSC & 45+ experts for the 100 Voices for Suicide Prevention campaign. Read my post here: http://bit.ly/100Voices #NSPW

Sample Facebook Post: I’m joining over 45 experts in the field and USC School of Social Work for the 100 Voices for Suicide Prevention campaign. Check out my submission here: http://bit.ly/100Voices #NSPW


For Advocates:

Sample Tweet: @MSWatUSC joins together w/ 45+ experts for the 100 Voices for #SuicidePrevention campaign. Read Now: http://bit.ly/100Voices #NSPW
            
Sample Facebook Post: “USC School of Social Work has built a collaboration with over 45 leading voices in the suicide prevention field who have contributed guest posts, podcast interviews, PSA’s, and resources. Share the 100 Voices Campaign to raise awareness for this critical issue: http://bit.ly/100Voices #NSPW

Keep the suicide prevention and awareness conversation going on social media using the following hashtags: #suicideprevention #NSPW #stayalive #youarenotalone #itgetsbetter #saynotosuicide #stopsuicide #unsuicide #twloha #loveislouder

Thank you for raising awareness with us!  

If you or a friend are considering suicide please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. It is free and confidential.

Maybe I’m weird, but I love most veggies, and I’m passionate about making them taste good to everyone. If you haven’t already, making your own dressings and marinades is a great way to embrace vegetables. It’s super easy, you can make them taste however you like, and you avoid unsavory ingredients, like MSG and preservatives, found in many “over the counter” dressings. Why embrace vegetables? Because they represent an absolutely necessary whole, clean source of micronutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and trace elements the Standard American Diet (SAD!) commonly lacks. 

Learning to love them and setting a positive example for our kids is a key component to helping our families achieve and maintain overall wellness—especially important for kids as their bodies are building and growing. Fake foods simply don’t fuel that growth at the cellular level. 

I could easily eat spinach for every meal, no lie, breakfast included.  Not recommended for a  #MOREin2014 lifestyle that encourages VARIETY, first and foremost, but I’d be in my own crazy kinda Heaven. Kale I’m still learning to love—it’s a texture thing. Cut the leaves in a chiffonade (remove ribs, stack leaves, roll them into a tube and slice perpendicular to the length of the tube into narrow ribbons), however, and massage this delicious dressing thoroughly into them to help break down the fibers, and I bet it would be delicious. I’ll have to try it. Maybe tomorrow. Right now “I needs to eats me spinach! Toot-toot!”

<--This spinach is sautéed, but I equally enjoy a breakfast salad. Just look at that beautiful farm-fresh egg with its vibrant yolk! 

What you will need:

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon Honey, preferably raw & local

Salt/pepper to taste

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil in a vessel that allows for drizzling

Place all but the olive oil in the bottom of either your immersion blender measuring and mixing container or a regular blender. You might want to double this recipe for a regular blender. And I would start with a few grinds of fresh cracked pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt, you can add more later if you like. Blend these ingredients together, then keep the blender going and sslllooowwwly drizzle in olive oil. Once you’ve added between a quarter- and a half-cup, turn off the motor, allow it to come to a complete stop, taste to adjust for balance of acidity with your particular vinegar (some are more tart and acidic in flavor than others) and your own taste. Keep whizzing and slowly drizzle in more olive oil if needed. Too bland? Add a spash more vinegar, maybe a pinch more salt and pepper.

My favorite kitchen tool is an immersion blender. It makes me feel like anything is possible. With it, I blend soups right in the pot and I make a number of delicious dressings and marinades. 

You can perform any of these tasks in a regular blender, but an immersion blender feels so much "chef-ier!" If you're using a regular blender for this recipe, you'll need one with a removable center port in the lid for drizzling, which is important for proper emulsification. It may work best to make a double recipe if you’re using a regular blender, which is great to do anyway. This is delicious thinned down a bit more and used as salad dressing. 



What you will need:

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, sliced

Juice of one lemon

Salt/pepper to taste

Extra virgin olive oil in a container that allows for drizzling


To the bottom of your mixing vessel, add the Dijon mustard, the garlic, salt/pepper (start with a few grinds of pepper and ¼ tsp salt), and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Blend these ingredients together, then keep the blender going and ssllloowwwwly drizzle in olive oil. Once you’ve added between a quarter- and  a half-cup, turn off the motor, allow it to come to a complete stop, taste to adjust for balance of acidity with your particular lemon (for instance, Meyer lemons are milder in flavor and less acidic) and your own taste buds.

I didn't expect speaking to the Smart Girls group at the Boys & Girls Club today to feel like I was the one receiving the gift of their time and attention, but it did. 

The girls were lovely. I enjoyed the girl talk (I do so miss my girls), and I especially enjoyed all the hugs I was the lucky recipient of at the end. I found it hard to leave.

To the Intelligent, Kind, Talented, Well-Mannered, Beautiful Young Ladies of Smart Girls: 

Thank you so much for having me today, and thank you for your sweet hugs. They made my day!

One of the things I hope you take with you after today is, of course, that anything is POSSIBLE. You each deserve to have the life you're willing to work for and dream of. Because we ALL deserve that. Don't ever let anybody tell you otherwise.
We all make mistakes. But a mistake doesn't have to define you for life. 

Every day that you wake up, throw off your covers and put your feet on the floor is another opportunity to make choices that keep you on your desired path in life. And you never know what beautiful, spectacular sights await you around the next corner. You matter. Your future matters. I couldn't wait to meet you all today, and I hope to see you again, because you matter to me. So just stay on the road. 

No one can force you to make the right choices. You have to want badly enough to do that for yourself. Sometimes we make the wrong choices out of spite. "I'll show them!" Right? We might manage to make someone else sad, but the only one you truly hurt is yourself. 

My parents divorced when I was a freshman in high school, and I've had five stepparents since then. My dad has been divorced four times, and my mom is married for the third time. I had a lot of anger for a long time. But the truth is, my parents' choices didn't have to have a negative effect on my choices. Only I allowed them to do that when I decided to stop believing in anything. And at 45 years old, I got tired of being angry, and I started doing what I wanted to do for me. 

You may not see a lot of diversity around you, or see yourself in many examples of success. But I want you to know that I didn't see examples of success I believed in for myself either, especially after I became a single mom--I thought my fate was sealed. 

I no longer believe that was EVER true. 

I didn't know other successful writers around me. So I took to the internet. I signed up for creative writing classes at the adult extension of the University of California in San Diego.

I started communicating with writers whose books I'd read, and I've met a few of them. That's what I needed to do. It made those writers feel more human to me. That showed me that if I'm willing to do the work, my dream of writing -- of finishing -- my own book someday IS possible. 

WE are the only ones with the power to limit ourselves. And we give up that power to others far too often.

Also, remember how we talked about letting love in--and I'm talking about true appreciation, kindness, and support of your dreams and goals kind of love. Even if you don't feel loved every day, wherever you come across it, like from the wonderful staff and volunteers at the Boys & Girls Club, drink it in and believe that.

You girls are capable of anything. If you can conceive it, you can achieve it if you just believe and keep it in your mind. Like Miss Brown says, "Always ask yourself, 'is this going to help me achieve my goals, or does this have the potential to send me sailing off that cliff?'" (OK, the cliff part I added.)

Choose yourself, choose YOUR future.  And be well.

Your new friend,
--Kim Jorgensen Gane

If you're lucky enough to be near Benton Harbor, MI, next week during their Clubs Week Celebration, please take the opportunity to tour the facilities of the Boys & Girls Club. "The interest and involvement by our community as a whole is critical to insuring the success of future generations." And the awesome kids there need and deserve your time and attention, too.  If you or someone else you know would enjoy taking a guided tour next week, please RSVP to the attention of Kimberly McCoy with your choice of day and the number of guests who wish to attend. 


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