Community Voices: Providing Keep Safe Support

Can you describe your experience as a Keep Safe Supporter on World Suicide Prevention Day with the WRSPC?

My experience as a Keep Safe Supporter with the WRSPC on World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 was both deeply moving and empowering. It was a privilege to be part of a community event that honours lost lives, supports those who are grieving, brings the community together and fosters hope. As a Keep Safe Supporter, my role was to be a calm, supportive presence for attendees who may be emotionally impacted by the event. We gently connected with individuals and provided time and space, whether that meant offering a listening ear, guiding them to resources, or simply holding space in silence.

How does this work contribute to suicide prevention for you?

This work contributes to suicide prevention by fostering connection, reducing stigma, and reminding people that they are not alone. Suicide often thrives in silence, shame, and isolation. World Suicide Prevention Day provides a safe space for conversation, connection, support, remembrance, and education.

Professionally, I’ve worked with individuals in crisis, youth in custody, patients in hospitals, and I’ve seen firsthand how critical early intervention and compassionate support means. Volunteering with WRSPC helps build awareness, offering hope, and creating safe spaces. On a personal level, after losing people very close to me by suicide this work has become part of my own healing journey. It allows me to turn grief into action and loss into purpose.

What is something about the World Suicide Prevention Day event that the community may not know?

One thing the community may not know is just how thoughtfully the event is planned. It’s a space created and held where people can come as they are, whether they’re grieving, reflecting, spreading awareness, building community, advocating, or simply learning, builds on hope and healing. There are so many individuals that come together that being volunteers, mental health organizations, survivors, grievers, first responders, educators, and youth, all coming together to create something meaningful – that’s the power in community and togetherness. 

What was the highlight of your experience or during the event for you?

The highlight for me as a volunteer was supporting individuals, whether that was having deep conversations, sitting together quietly while they gathered their thoughts, sharing stories was a powerful reminder we are not alone and why this is the heart of why I do this work. 

How can the community get involved and support this work?

There are many ways the community can get involved and support suicide prevention. It starts with being open to conversations, education, learning about mental health, volunteering, engaging in community events and more.