AFSP-Western New York
The Western New York Chapter of AFSP was formally chartered in August of 2007.
Covering the 19 Western most counties of New York State, our Chapter seeks to prevent the loss of life by suicide through education, research, and outreach. Sadly, one in every 25 lives lost to suicide in this country is a resident of New York State. Our Chapter hopes to play a vital role in preventing the loss of life by suicide in Western New York.
Since the early formation of the Chapter in February of 2006, our members have worked to raise public awareness of suicide, suicide prevention, and mental illness through collaboration, outreach, and education in the Western NY region. We have also worked to erase the stigma that overshadows suicide and mental illness. As a Chapter, we have been involved in several different suicide prevention initiatives.
We brought the first Out of the Darkness Community Walk to Rochester in 2006 and to Buffalo in 2007. Fredonia kicked off their fourth Out of the Darkness Community Walk in the fall of 2007. We hope to continue the success of these walks, as well as add future community walks to our region. Other initiatives include community education programs, survivor outreach, and policy awareness.
The Chapter would like to thank Anna Cooper, our Chapter founder, for her hard work, and vision for a successful Chapter in Western New York. We’d also like to thank and recognize Tom Wallace and the Western NY Office of Mental Health for their support, as well as Dr. Kathleen Plum at the Office of Mental Health in Rochester. We’d also like to thank Mary Jean Coleman for her guidance and support. Finally, we’d like to send a special thank you to all members of the Chapter, volunteers, Board members, and those who have participated in our events, thank you for making our vision of a successful Chapter a reality.
Read on to see what we are working on here in the Western NY region.
