Care (continued)

It turned out that I still have some more to say about caring. Today, Friday September 10 is "Suicide Prevention Day." A couple of years ago at our Registered Youth Worker Training and Information Day in Corinth we paid attention to signs of depression in children and youth. It was a great day with lots of opportunity for some very caring sharing about this oh-so-common issue for children and youth. What are the signs and what do we do, as adults who care? As church school teachers, youth leaders, parents? The guest speaker from Canadian Mental Health Association had much to say and offer to raise our awareness of this very real issue.

Of course not only children or youth suffer from depression. Here's what one of our Blog pals has to say: Talk About It

When I spoke about the need to be more real about our caring a couple of days ago, this could be the "trouble" that our friends are hiding. When we "put on our Sunday face" it could be a depression that we're covering up. Depression is way, way too common for us not to pay attention to it.

The Canadian Mental Health Association is just a terrific resource that everyone should know about--certainly all our pastors and congregational leaders should check it out. Maybe October 3-9, Mental Illness Awareness Week would be a good time to learn about this community-based organization. All over Ontario (and Canada) there are speakers, experts, teachers--your neighbours who volunteer and who are trained and ready to come to your congregation or women's department or youth group to talk about whatever questions you might have about mental health, depression, suicide. They have a chapter in your community!

If we're going to be a more caring community, we'd better get ourselves informed and equipped. CMHA is a great place to start. And mental illness is an important thing to care about. Check out some of these links and consider planning an event. Or just take some steps to make yourself a friend who has a clue how to care.

Posted by Marion