Hey All...

This year will be the 4th year that John's Team will be participating in the Samaritans annual 'Walk for Someone Else's Life' at Artesani Park in Boston, MA on October 2nd.  We walk in memory of my cousin Johnny, who took his life in February of 2007.  We will walk to raise funds to increase awareness of suicide-related issues, improve community outreach to prevent suicide, and give support to survivors of suicide...survivors like us.  Over the past 3 years, John's Team has raised over $9,000 to benefit the Samaritans.  It still is not enough. 

This year, once again, we will walk in the hope that fewer families will have to endure the pain and loss that follows a suicide.  We will walk in the hopes that people in despair can always find someone to talk to on the Samaritans' 24-hour helpline.  We will walk to bring hope to others, and to bring some comfort to ourselves.  We will walk to remember Johnny...

The need for Samaritans' services continues to grow.  Last year alone, volunteers answered over 100,000 calls from people in despair, who were lonely, who felt they had no where else to turn.  As amazing as that is, there were so many calls that went unanswered, where a caller got an automated message asking them to call back.  Those unanswered calls are heartbreaking to me, as are the increasing number of people we are hearing from who've lost a loved one to suicide, and who reach out to Samaritans for home visits, support groups, and information on how to handle such a horrific loss.

Join us on October 2nd...Please donate whatever you can to support John's team, and the Samaritans.  With your help, we can spread hope to others, comfort those who've suffered a loss, and hopefully decrease the incidence of suicide.

Donating through this website is fast and secure.  However, if you're uncomfortable donating on the website, please feel free to mail a check made out to Samaritans, Inc, to

Elizabeth Ramos - c/o 33 Woodland Drive, Somerset, MA 02726

Thank you all so much for your help and support!

Liz

To learn more about Samaritans, and all we do, please check out http://www.samaritanshope.org/