Suicide and Voices of Hope

Today’s Great Falls Tribune features a heartfelt story by Kristen Cates highlighting the loss felt by suicide.  The three family survivors’ stories are profoundly touching, as are the quotes from Voices of Hope’s  Angela Hansen.

Suicide rates continue to be exceptionally high in Montana, and this is one of the things our Allocations Committee toys with every year.  How do we know if United Way dollars are making a positive impact within this organization if Montana continues to have the 1st, 2nd or 3rd highest suicide rates in the nation?  Kristen’s article hints that, due to the ambiguity of mental illnesses, its hard to say.  What is easy to see is the breadth of people that Voices of Hope touches in their daily interactions.

Please weigh in on this topic–it always seems to spark some lively discussions with both our Board of Directors and Allocations Committee!