"The Out of the Darkness Community Walk is a journey of remembrance, hope, and support. It unites our communities and provides an opportunity to acknowledge the ways in which suicide and mental health conditions have affected our lives and the lives of those we love and care about." ~ Brevard Out of the Darkness Event Page

For the second year in a row, the Florida State University College of Social Work has represented FSU at the annual Out of the Darkness Walk Community Walk benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This year's walk took place at Wickham Park on November 5, and once again many members of the mental health community came out to support this worthwhile cause.

Among those in attendance, in addition to the FSU CSW Brevard Network representatives, were Two Write Love on Her Arms (TWOLHA), the local Veterans Administration representatives, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and many mental health service providers from Brevard and Orange Counties. Attendees gathered and discussed topics related to improving mental health care in our county, state, and country, before walk participants circumnavigated the park.

As always, we had an exciting T-Shirt giveaway. Congratulations to our five winners: Lizette J., Kelly N., Nova H., Micaela M., and Lisa R.! Please reach out to us if you have not yet claimed your shirt. We are looking to do more giveaways in the future, so please stay tuned for more events in the area!

This event was also the first event attended by Amy Cheng, who will take over as the new Brevard Network Coordinator beginning in December, 2022. Amy is excited to spend more time in community outreach activities, sharing information on Florida State University's College of Social Work, as well as the field of social work in general. 

Thirty-seven teams, containing 325 participants, together worked to raise more than $32,000 on behalf of suicide prevention. Click here to learn more about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 

If you are considering suicide or self-harm, help is available. Reach out via phone or text to 988 to talk with someone today. Help is out there.