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Community
Community
FLORENCE, Wis. - The Florence Parish, a partnership in Christian Ministry between the First Presbyterian and Bethlehem Lutheran Churches, is sponsoring two programs related to suicide and its prevention as well as helping survivors cope with the pain of their loss. Both events are free and open to the public.
Have you heard about QPR training? QPR stands for Question. Persuade. Refer. On Saturday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at this fundamental gatekeeper training, participants will learn about current trends in the prevention of suicide, ways to separate fact from fiction surrounding suicide, basic communication skills to help start the conversation about suicide, steps to ask the suicide question, persuade someone to get help and refer them to help, and local, state and national resources to support suicide prevention. This program will be presented at Bethlehem Lutheran Church by Mary VanHaute, who is a suicide prevention specialist and survivor of suicide loss. As with other programs, there is no charge to participate in QPR.
Then on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. The Florence Parish invites all who have been impacted by the complicated grief of suicide loss to attend an ecumenical service of hope and healing led by Pastor Cathy Morris and Mary VanHaute to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Attendees are welcome to bring a memento to honor their loved one that can be placed on a table of remembrance during the service. Everyone will receive a candle, which will be lit during the service, to take with them in memory of their loved one. We ask that only those who have experienced grief from a suicide loss, along with those who support them, be in attendance at this service.
We are fortunate to have Mary VanHaute sharing her expertise as a suicide prevention trainer with us. She is a summer resident in Florence County and lives in Clearwater, Florida. More information about Mary can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-vanhaute/.
For more information about either of these programs, please call the Florence Parish Office at 715-528-4851.