September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day, and Peer Connections Manitoba is participating in an event called Chalk The Walk. Community Support Worker Eleanor Snitka says the goal of today is to let people know there are ways to get help.
"We're distributing chalk to people in four different communities; Swan River, Roblin, Dauphin, and Ste. Rose. We're encouraging people to use that chalk to write on their sidewalks, to write on the sidewalks of the community, and to write messages of hope, and resilience, and encouragement to people who might be struggling with mental health."
The chalk can be picked up from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow, although there is a limited supply. In Dauphin, it's available at Under one Roof, and at the Dauphin Friendship Centre, while in Ste. Rose it's available at the Primary Healthcare Centre. In both Roblin and Swan River, chalk will be available for pickup at the Hero Club.
"People can call any of the crisis lines that are available in our region with Prairie Mountain Health or with the Dauphin Community. At Peer Connections Manitoba, we have people who work right in the emergency room at the hospital so if people are in dire straights, if they're in crisis they can certainly go there, and when they go there to see the doctor or to get help, there will be someone to offer them peer support as well."
There are a number of crisis lines available in the Prairie Mountain Health Region which can be found here. Peer Connections Manitoba also has a list of resources available to those in crisis here.
