#BeThe1To

If you don't know what that stands for, good.  That means that you hopefully haven't experienced the pain of suicide.  If you do know what it stands for, even better.  That means that you are familiar with an important resource to help prevent suicide.

I had the pleasure of having breakfast with Miss North Dakota, Haley Wolfe, and hearing about her unique opportunity make a difference in peoples lives.  Whether you know someone struggling or if it's you that is struggling suicide, #BeThe1To is SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Haley Wolfe is a native of Carrington and currently a Senior at Minnesota State University Moorhead.  As Miss North Dakota, she has had a unique opportunity to share her Social Impact Initiative, #BeThe1To across North Dakota and the region.  It's unique because of Covid 19.  Haley is not only Miss North Dakota 2019 and our representative in last year's Miss America Pageant, but she's also Miss North Dakota 2020, so she has another year to help others.

#BeThe1To is a social movement educating those who want to help othersstruggling with suicidal thoughts and actions.  It's a simple five-step action plan that guides someone who wants to help another that might be struggling.  #BeThe1To focuses on asking people in a direct, unbiased manner if they are struggling, and communicating that it's ok to feel lost and yet ask for support.

Haley shared her brush with suicide, when she lost a teenage cousin, when she was ten years old.  Typically with suicide, it was a sudden, unexpected, unexplained tragedy and unnecessary if people know the warning signs and how to engage someone who is experiencing struggles.

If you missed Haley at last Fall's Suicide Walk at the State Capitol grounds, you can see her on two suicide prevention videos that she assisted the Bismarck Crisis Care Chaplaincy in producing.  Click on the link to their Facebook page to view the videos.

Many of us are familiar with the numbers associated with Veteran suicides, but suicide affects far more people than could ever imagine and doesn't discriminate.  If you'd like to see the numbers, look at the CDC (Center For Disease Control And Prevention) statistics.

Suicide can take loved ones completely by surprise and often goes undetected until it's too late.  That's why #BeThe1To is SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!

 

 

 

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