AFSP Receives Grant from Reader’s Digest Foundation
The Reader’s Digest Foundation, a charitable institution funded by contributions from Reader’s Digest Association, has awarded a $100,000 grant to AFSP, thanks to Virginia Cervasio of Cape Coral, Fla.
In 2006, Cervasio lost her 24-year-old son, Angelo, to suicide. Three months after his death, Cervasio formed C.A.R.E.S. (Community Awareness in Recognizing and Educating on Suicide), determined to spare other mothers and children the fate that she and Angelo had suffered. Today, C.A.R.E.S. operates a suicide prevention resource center in Southwest Florida and Cervasio has enrolled in college to become a victim advocate.
Inspired by her story, the Readers Digest Foundation named Cervasio the November recipient for its “Make It Matter” initiative, and she recommended that AFSP be the grant recipient for the cause of suicide prevention and education. Cervasio became aware of AFSP by participating in one of its community walk events.
Since April, Reader’s Digest has chosen one individual each month whose story of giving back serves as an inspiration to others.
“The tragedy of suicide is not something we talk about very much, even though someone takes their own life in the United States every 16 minutes,” Reader’s Digest Foundation Executive Director Susan Fraysse Russ said. “We are grateful to AFSP for helping all of us confront the reality of suicide and working to prevent it. We hope our support of AFSP will encourage greater discussion of the issue and increased awareness of what depression and mood disorders look like -- and how they can be treated.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Reader’s Digest Foundation for this generous donation and to Virginia Cervasio for sharing her very personal story and then suggesting AFSP as the grant recipient,” AFSP Executive Director Robert Gebbia said. “Education on this national health problem is vital to saving lives. Therefore, we plan to use these funds to train and educate volunteers from across the country on launching effective suicide prevention programs in their communities.”
Reader’s Digest magazine featured Cervasio’s story in its “Make it Matter” column in the November issue.
