PLATTSBURGH — The Eighth Annual Evening of Healing: Stories of Strength, a unique community program, will be offered free to the public on Monday, March 11 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Newman Center, 90 Broad St., Plattsburgh.
Through a variety of different situations, everyone experiences pain and suffers unexpected loss at some time in their lives. The program’s goal is to open communication for attendees to learn where and how to find strength, connect with people so healing can begin, and leave with a sense of hope and purpose. Members from previous panels will be in attendance as well as new panelists who will share their stories of strength.
“We knew that it was something that had to be just in person,” Bonnie Black, Clinton County, NY Coalition to Prevent Suicide chair, said.
“We did not do it it during the pandemic, fortunately, but it is an evening where we have three people who have had a traumatic experience either as a suicide loss survivor or other traumatic life experiences, talk about the strength that actually pulled them through so that they have found a new way of living, even though they’ve had severe trauma.”
Past speakers have survived domestic violence or their partners have or an accident such a falling into a campground fire or a sporting event such as a ski injury that left them with a physical disability.
“There is always someone who has experienced suicide of a parent, of a sibling, of a child, and then the other two are maybe someone who no longer relies on substance use and now they have survived and have been able to find strength in order to live without the dependency of substances,” Black said.
“The focus is the strength that those who speak each year talk about. They are speaking about the strength that they have. The reason we did it was a beginning just so people can talk about you can have a healthy life even though you’ve gotten through a traumatic situation.”
The program will be introduced by Evening of Healing Committee members Dana Jeweler and Chelsea Scheefer, who was the event’s first keynote speaker. Panel discussions will be led by members Jennifer Hrnjic, Deena Giltz McCullough, and Sally Meisenheimer. All the committee members have experienced loss, trauma, and life events where they struggled and consequently found ways to become stronger and more resilient.
Panelists with remarkable stories of resilience and thriving to share include:
• Lora Thornton, who has a story of emerging from severe emotional distress.
• Jenn Boyer, who is a suicide loss survivor.
• Mike Carpenter, who has a story of recovery and giving back.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Giovanina Bucci.
Recipients of Be The One Scholarship will be accepting their scholarships and presenting their stories. These scholarships were created in 2019 as a means of reaching graduating seniors in Clinton County by asking questions related to mental health and suicide prevention.
The scholarship gives individuals an opportunity to discover how they can “Be the One” to make a difference by reducing stigma, sharing stories of hope and encouragement, brainstorming creative interventions, and creating a social media campaign that could save lives.
The Foundation of Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital is proud to co-sponsor “An Evening of Healing” with Northern Insuring Agency, the Clinton County, NY Coalition to Prevent Suicide, and TwinState Technologies. This event is free and open to the public.