Hungry for Healing was created in Fall 2016, when The Clergy Community Faith Alliance met with school counselors, clergy, first responders, and Chief Faulkner and Sherriff Long, to discuss the alarming statistic that while suicide is the ninth-leading cause of death in Tennessee, claiming over 950 lives per year, it is the number two cause of death in Williamson County, per 2013 data.
According to the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, someone dies by suicide once every 13 minutes in the United States. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in people ages 10-24. The suicide rate is higher for the elderly, ages 85+, more than any other age group. Suicide is preventable. Most suicidal people desperately want to live, they are just unable to see alternatives to problems other than taking their own life. This misinformation – or the lack of information altogether – often means people can’t get the help they need in times of crisis.
Mercy Community Healthcare, The Refuge Center for Counseling, and Insight Counseling Center will benefit from the proceeds raised at participating area restaurants during this awareness week. Representative from these organizations, as well as GraceWorks, will also be involved with a series of town hall type discussions about mental health. The talks begin with a focus on fostering a healthy and supportive work environment at 8am-9am Monday, February 20, at Columbia State Community College. Tuesday, February 21, 7pm-8pm, at Franklin First United Methodist Church focuses on the role faith plays in healing. Please visit www.hungry4healing.com, Facebook, and @hungry4healing for ways to give, town hall talk schedules, and the growing number of supporting restaurants involved.
