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"Samaritans has helped me for many years. Thank you for listening."- Helpline Caller
In This Issue:
Win a Trip to South Africa!Win
The Samaritans Boston Marathon Team is raffling two incredible trips for a Photo Safari in South Africa.  Tickets are $50 each or 3 for $100. You can enjoy the trip of a lifetime and be amazed by the beautiful nature and majestic animals that South Africa has to offer. Spend your days looking at giraffes, elephants and zebras and your nights relaxing at the Safari lodge. 

Valued at $6,000, each raffle prize includes 6 nights accommodation for two in a standard room at the Heritage Safari Lodge or the Hemingway Tented Safari Camp, all meals, with gourmet breakfasts and delicious buffet dinners, and two Safari rides per day on the beautiful Zulu Nyala Game Reserve with an experienced ranger. 

Learn more or purchase tickets at 
http://bit.do/SamsRaffle 
Meet our 2017 Boston Marathon Team! Meetour2017BostonMarathonTeam
On Monday, April 17, 2017 The Samaritans Boston Marathon Team will run 26.2 miles for suicide prevention. This year, we have a large team of 19 dedicated individuals who will run for Samaritans. Our goal is $165,000.  To donate to our team or one of our amazing runners, check out our  CrowdRise page !
 
Meet four members of our outstanding team:
  • Michael Monestime:   In 1996 Michael started his own music marketing company and met Cambridge native, Christian Calderoni. Over the next few years Christian and Michael became good friends, making annual trips to Puerto Rico and touring with a local Hip-Hop group.

    In 2003, Michael moved to New York to grow his business and was heartbroken to learn of Christian's death in 2005. Since 2005, Michael has participated in the Samaritans' 5K Run/Walk for Suicide Prevention as a member of Christian's Team.

    After moving back to Boston in 2011, Michael started running to help him cope with his own depression. Michael has used running to raise awareness for suicide prevention and other worthy charities. He successfully ran his first marathon in Boston in 2014.  Since then, he has completed two additional marathons and two Ultra Marathons (50k). Currently, he works at Live Nation New England and attends UMASS Boston in the Urban Planning and Community Development program.

    Michael is thrilled to run the 2017 Boston Marathon with Samaritans and in honor of his dear friend Christian. Michael cannot think of a more worthy organization to partner with in this exciting and challenging adventure. Let the training and fundraising begin! To learn more about Michael or make a donation towards his goal, visit his CrowdRise Page

    Michael grew up in Jamaica Plain and currently resides in Cambridge with wife Sara and daughters Madelyn and Sydelle. 
  • Michael White:  Michael lost his brother, Shawn to suicide November of last year. Shawn's passing was unexpected and devastating to his family and friends.  Although Shawn had dealt with anxiety and depression in his life, he had never allowed it to stop him from achieving the goals he set forth on.  Shawn graduated from UMass - Boston and went on to earn his JD from the Suffolk University School of Law. 

    Shawn was also an incredibly talented distance runner.  A month before Shawn passed away, he ran the Grand Rapids Marathon, achieving a personal record and a qualifying time for the 2017 Boston Marathon.  Michael recalls how his brother was always willing to share his talent by giving aspiring runners, such as himself, training tips and encouragement. 

    Michael found out about the Samaritans SafePlace meetings when he was in need of support as he was trying to cope with the wide range of emotions surrounding his brother's loss.  He saw how much Samaritans services mean to so many people affected by suicide.  This inspired him to form his family's first team for the Samaritans 5k Run/Walk for Suicide Prevention this past October.  Team Shawn White raised just over $2,000 for Samaritans in his brother's memory.


    As this past year was unfolding, Michael decided to take up running as a way to honor Shawn and in return, running has brought Michael renewed personal health as well as healing.  Michael has come to think of it as a final gift from Shawn.  He ran his first half marathon in October with his brother, Matt.  Michael believes Shawn would be happy and proud that he has stepped up to fill in as a slightly slower running partner for Shawn's twin Matt.  Although this will be Michael's first marathon, he is looking forward to giving all he has out there on the course come April 17th for his brother Shawn, for the Samaritans and for anyone who has lost someone to suicide. To learn more about Michael or make a donation towards his goal, visit his 
    CrowdRise Page.

    Michael grew up in East Bridgewater with his parents, Robert and Janice and twin brothers, Matthew & Shawn.  Michael now resides in Reading with his wife, Joanne and his 2 year old son, Rowan.  He is a detective with the Salem, NH Police Department where he has been a police officer since 2004.  Prior to that Michael was a police officer with the NYPD and was part of the first academy class after 9/11. 
  • Nora Schmitt: Nora lost her father to suicide in July, 2013.  The Samaritans showed her that there is life after suicide.  Safe Place meetings reminded her that she wasn't alone in her struggles and that there were people all around her who knew what she was going through.  At Safe Place meetings, Nora was able to interact with other survivors who had lost a parent, sibling, child, or spouse, but who were still standing on their own two feet.  Nora is currently training to become a facilitator for Samaritan's Safe Place meetings and a participant in the Samaritan's Survivor to Survivor Network.

    Running plays a huge role in Nora's personal story.  She was training for her first marathon when she lost her father.  Training was extremely difficult for her in the early days after her father's death.  But with lots of support from her friends and family (and, especially, her husband) Nora crossed the finish line of the Philadelphia Marathon just four months after losing her dad.  Not only was it one of the proudest moments of her life, but it was concrete evidence that amazing things could still happen even after suicide - that she could still achieve her goals, that she could still make happy memories, and that she could still grow and thrive.  She has made distance running a part of her life since then.

    Nora's journey is far from over and there isn't a day (or a run) that she doesn't think about her dad.  But she can confidently say that she is a better, stronger, more caring and joyous person today than she was before she lost him. Nora cannot think of a better way to honor her father's memory, to share her story, and to say thank you to the Samaritans and her fellow survivors than by running the Boston Marathon on behalf of this incredible organization. To learn more about Nora or make a donation towards her goal, visit her CrowdRise Page.

    Nora grew up just outside of Boston in Concord,MA and now lives in Cambridge with her husband, Chris.  Nora is devoted to her Newfoundland, Heidi, and two cats, Buster and Pork Chop.  She is an attorney with a specialty in health care. 
  • Reed Piercey:  Reed has been a volunteer at Samaritans since February 2016 and is a member of Boston College's 4Boston Samaritans group. Since beginning in the phone room, the experience of interacting directly with callers has altered his outlook on the world and profoundly impacted him. He has become increasingly passionate about suicide prevention, and is running to bring awareness of Samaritans' work and the power of listening to a broader portion of his community.

    Several of Reed's closest friends have struggled with suicidal thoughts or have seen the impact of suicide in their life. Although he has never had to bear that burden himself, he hopes to make more people aware of the mental health difficulties faced by their friends and loved ones and how they can best support them. At school, Reed is involved in student government and undergraduate research, and enjoys running, writing, and hiking in his spare time. 
    To learn more about Reed or make a donation towards his goal, visit his CrowdRise Page.

    Reed is a sophomore at Boston College originally from Mountain View, California. He, his parents, and his younger brother have lived in Silicon Valley for most of their lives, as well as in Paris, France when he was in grade school.  


Thanks to the John Hancock Boston Marathon Non-Profit, this is the 10th consecutive year that Samaritans will have a team running the 26.2 miles.
Charity Warriors ChallengeCharity
Board member Kacy Cerasoli Maitland is representing Samaritans in the Charity Warriors Challenge!, a ten-week fundraising competition and bootcamp.  Next week, 5 Charity Warriors will be chosen to compete for a $10,000 Grand Prize by raising funds for their nonprofit.  Watch for a special Red Sox raffle coming soon. It will include 2 tickets, a Green Monster Tour , dinner and a night at the Westin.  Only 100 tickets will be sold.   Stay tuned and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more details to come!  And to check her out on the website as a challenge winner visit: www.charitywarriorschallenge.com.
Surviving a LossSurviving
"May the radiance and beauty of their lives never be defined by their death." - Unknown

Those who have lost a loved one to suicide face incredible challenges every day; working through their grief, trying to come up with answers to their questions surrounding the death, going through the motions of day to day obligations, and perhaps caring for children or other family members. One of the biggest challenges survivors face is the profound stigma attached to the suicide.

It is not uncommon for those who have survived the suicide of a loved one to feel alone in their grief. Even if they cannot explain why, their grief is different; something that most people simply cannot understand. Friends, family, and coworkers do not know what to say, so they may end up saying the wrong thing, or nothing at all. Sometimes, one chooses not to disclose the nature of the death with peers and keep it all inside. Survivors often express a need to talk about the person they lost and their feelings regarding the suicide, but feel they cannot do so without prompting unwanted questions or comments, or are not ready to do so just yet.

Samaritans' Grief Support Services (GSS) is a program dedicated to bringing support to loss survivors during an impossible, tragic time. GSS provides a safe, comforting environment for survivors to come together to talk about their experiences, share in their grief, and learn from one another. The program is composed of devoted and compassionate volunteers that understand the extraordinary grief that comes with losing a loved one to suicide as they, too, have suffered this unimaginable loss. If you find yourself in need of some extra support after a loss, or would like to learn more about our services, please visit
http://samaritanshope.org/our-services/grief-support-services/ .
When You are Worried About SomeoneWhen
"The caller was extremely thankful for the help I was able to give and was feeling better about her brother's future" -HelpLine Volunteer
 
Many of the calls that come into our Crisis HelpLine are people looking to use the service for themselves. However, there are instances when someone is calling out of concern for a friend, family member, or acquaintance; these are referred to as "3rd Party Calls". Although the call is structured slightly differently, the skills of Befriending are used to bring callers the comfort they are looking for and the helpful listening ear that they may desperately need.

These 3rd party calls bring different complications to our volunteers. Feelings of guilt, exhaustion and fear might be evident through conversations, so it's important to make sure the caller knows this is the first step in helping the person at risk. There are instances when the person is calling for themselves might prefer to identify themselves as a 3rd party, so it is essential that regardless of the nature of the call, befriending skills always stay present. Despite different call elements, the confidentiality of the caller is no less important.

Fearing for the life of someone you care about is not something that should be faced alone. The Samaritans are always here to listen.
There's been a lot going on this month on the prevention side! For our youth outreaches, we've had a busy month at Arlington High School, teaching over 200 9th graders. Next month we will finish our outreaches there and upon completion, will have taught every single 9th grader in Arlington. The students in these workshops were knowledgeable, respectful, and asked great questions! Arlington High has worked hard to expand its awareness around mental health and suicide prevention, which is always an inspiring thing to see.
 
Another highlight from the month was the Malden Public Library's kickoff event for their Malden Reads program. Malden Reads is a community reading program that invites the community to come together to read the same book and participate in a series of events related to the book's themes. The book they chose this year, "A Man Called Ove", by Fredrik Backman, deals with themes of depression, grief, suicide, and finding reasons to live. Participants at this event were so interested and grateful to learn about the services provided by Samaritans. It was truly wonderful to see a community come together to discuss these important topics and be so open about topics that can often be very stigmatized.
 
Suicide prevention training is an essential community need. If your school, company or community organization is interested in arranging a training, you can find more information here, or contact  Lauren.
Meet Our Newest Board Members!Meetournewestboardmemebers
Introducing Alan Mednick
Originally from Northern New Jersey and currently lives in Sudbury, MA 
with  wife Mary, son Michael, daughter Candice and grandson Aiden.  He is a successful business own er of 2 convenience stores in Cambridge and  Charlestown.

Alan was exposed to philanthropy and volunteering at a young age, through his father's program with Very Special Arts, the sister organization to Special Olympics.  Currently, Alan is on the committee for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for the A Sip in the Park and Out of the Darkness Walk.  He serves on the in town Baseball Board for 5 years and has coached baseball for 15 years.  With Alan's passion for baseball and loss of his daughter Raven Amanda and niece Ayla, he has recently created The Ravens program, a nonprofit that coaches kids on the fundamentals along with the mental aspects of baseball.  Kids will understand how to learn from mistakes and how to believe in themselves and their teammates, which is key to winning in Baseball and in Life.  This program also raises money to support Samaritans and suicide prevention. 
Introducing Kevin Lilly
Kevin grow up in Buffalo NY.  He moved to Boston at eighteen to attend Boston University and currently resides in Natick with wife Laura, son James (17) and has two daughters in College Kayla (UMBC) & Alyssa (UVM).  
Kevin is a television broadcasting executive with almost thirty years of industry experience; he currently serves as President of Lilly Broadcasting, LLC.  In 1999 Kevin and his brother, Brian Lilly, founded Lilly Broadcasting, LLC for the purpose of acquiring and operating small market television stations.  Kevin is currently a member of the Dean's Advisory Board for Boston University's School of Communications and a Director of the non-profit charitable organization SJL Foundation.  Kevin is also a past President of the Natick Comets Hockey Association. Kevin is pleased to be on the board: "I have been following the great work Samaritans has done over the past 8 years and finally decided to get off the sidelines and see what I can do it help."     
Help Samaritans Earn a Free Ad with the Boston GlobeBostonGlobe
Are you a Boston Globe subscriber? If so, we have a favor to ask. Help us earn a free ad in the Globe just by showing your support. Simply go to   BostonGlobe.com/GRANT and enter your subscriber information  and the name and location of our organization before  April 30, 2017.  It only takes a minute, and it doesn't cost you a dime.  

Your support will be converted into GRANT advertising dollars, which we can redeem for ad space in the Globe. The more dollars raised, the larger the ad - which means more exposure for  Samaritans  and the important work we do.

Last year, thousands of subscribers participated in GRANT, helping their favorite non-profits raise awareness, recruit volunteers, promote fund-raising, and advertise events. 

Thank you in advance for your support. We appreciate it more than you know!!
Upcoming Events Upcoming
March
  • Michael Monestime will be hosting a Marathon fundraising event on Thursday, March 23, from 6-10pm, at La Fabrica - 450 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139.
  • Join us for the premiere of  The Man in the Cowboy Hat, a documentary film about Carlos Arredondo, at the Boston Public Library, Rabb Hall,  700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA on Saturday March 25, from 2-4:30pm.   For information and to RSVP.
April
  • Join Samaritans Boston Marathon team member JessicaGreenwood for a 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, April 2nd, 2017, from 10:30am - 11:30am.  This event will be held at the Veterans Memorial Park , 737 Elm St. Manchester, NH 03101, and will be  followed by an after party at  Club Manch Vegas .  For more information visit their facebook page.
  • Join us at Wellesley College for Millyfest 2017 in memory of Molly Thompson '04.  The event will take place on  Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 8am at  Keohane Sports Center Upper Practice Field.  It will be a fun filled day of frisbee, food and raffles.
  • Come cheer for the Samaritans' Marathon Team on Marathon  Monday, April 17, 2017 at Mile 17. Contact  Max Bukowiec for details. 
May
 
October
  • Save the date: Samaritans 5K Run/Walk for Suicide Prevention will be held on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at Artesani Park!  Registration opens April 1st, 2017
Open PositionsOpen
Interested in preventing suicide as a Samaritans' staff member or intern? We are currently accepting applications for: