Raising awareness at Interact meeting

On Wednesday, May 11, Interact held their last meeting of this year and had the privilege of hearing guest speakers Leanne Hardy and Linda Zimmerman.

Hardy is head over the Out of the Darkness movement for Danville and Pittsylvania County. After losing a loved one to suicide, she got involved and wanted to help people who are suffering with depression. Hardy is very open about the topic that is far too often not mentioned. She is passionate about raising awareness evident by her semi-colon necklace and “Be the Voice” tee shirt.

According to statistics, suicide affects 1 in 3 people in some way whether it be directly or indirectly. In Pittsylvania County last year, 49 people died in this way. Pittsylvania County is ranked 3rd in Virginia for the highest suicide rates.

Hardy wants to make that number drastically decrease.

“A lot of people think ‘oh that doesn’t happen around here,’ but it does. Suicide is an ugly, ugly word. We need to be brave and say something because there is hope,” said Hardy.

While speaking, she gave tips on how to help one who is struggling. The main tip she kept emphasizing was to never stop showing love to the person.

“Let them know you’re here for them. Just be with them. When I’m having a bad day, all I want is to know someone cares about me,” she said.

Interact members were also given orange wristbands, a car sticker, and a brochure from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The brochure gives facts about the causes, warning signs, and what to do if someone is feeling suicidal. It urges them to reach out for help by calling 1-800-273-TALK (the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline).

The upcoming events with Hardy’s organization include a scavenger hunt at Festival in the Park on May 13-15. The pirate-themed hunt will be at Ballou Park and by allowing children to find items, it will lead them and their parents to learn more about the Out of the Darkness movement.

There is an annual walk scheduled for September 10, 2016. It will be held at the Carrington Pavilion and will include yoga, Zumba, and music. During it, there will also be a memorial program which allows walkers to honor those they’ve lost and “put a face to suicide.” It shows that statistics are not just numbers- they are people.

The Interact club volunteered at this event last year and it was a success. There will also be a cold weather cookout to help feed the homeless sometime in January.

Next was speaker Linda Zimmerman. Through a painful experience in her life, she found a way to use her grief to help others. Zimmerman founded and is the assistant director of Danville Cares.

Danville Cares is a group of individuals that work to meet the needs of the Danville community. Recently, Interact donated diapers for the community baby shower, which will be held on May 14.

This event is partnered with Moffett Memorial Baptist Church and Danville Out of the Darkness.  The community baby shower will allow families to receive needed things for newborns to two-year-olds like clothes and diapers.

“We don’t want these mothers to feel like they’re in need, but rather just see it as a big, fun baby shower for the whole community,” said Zimmerman.

To learn more about either of these organizations, visit their Facebooks here and here.

Also during the meeting, the new officers were announced and the club said good-bye to seniors Trevor Mensavage, Hannah Barker, and Amber Murphy.

For the 2016-2017 school year, Sarah Goard and Maggie Wells will serve as co-presidents, Blake Mitchell as vice president, Anna Brooks as secretary, and Dylan Hayley as treasurer.

All members are reminded they must complete three service projects and three donations. Green project sheets are also due before the end of the year.