Hope from unimaginable pain
Ruby Poffinbarger - Contributing Writer
“Be patient and be kind, to you and to others,” said Kevin Atwood from Foster’s Voice, a nonprofit organization with a mission to end suicide and the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Atwood and his wife Jaime lost their son Foster to suicide in 2017. Nine days after his passing, they founded Foster’s Voice. The pair travel around the country sharing their story about the grief from losing their child and encourage individuals to speak up and seek help.
Last year, they came to the Monmouth community and had a conversation about their son and discussed the effects suicide has on those who experience it. The Atwoods’ story shows what happens to survivors, and they use it to encourage people to break the stigma and help prevent suicide. “The reason I came back tonight… is to show you I am still here and if I am still here, you can still be here.”
Monmouth’s Stockdale Fellows and Mental Health Peer educators hosted the event, with sophomore Natalie Morrow bringing attention to the organization.
After Atwood’s talk, attendees split into two groups for a few activities. Everyone received a note card and wrote their name down. The cards were passed around and others wrote something kind about the person. After the card had returned to its owner, they got to read and keep the kind messages. Attendees also wrote reasons to live on sticky notes for specific categories: people, pets, places, and miscellaneous reasons.
Atwood reminds us: “Whether giant steps or little shuffles, it’s all movement, and it’s all forward.”
If you need help call the national suicide and crisis hotline at 988. You can also reach support by texting 741741. These hotlines aren’t just for individuals in crisis but will help someone struggling and walk an individual through helping someone else. Monmouth College also offers resources for those who are struggling.
To learn more about Foster’s story, including resources, support groups, and scholarships to support the process of getting professional help visit fostersvoice.org.