Event Will Raise Awareness About Suicide, Depression and Addiction at WOU

"...we will also be providing counselors, trained professionals and other resources for those dealing with depression, addictions, self-injury and suicide." - Organizer Sean Bitzer

(MONMOUTH, Ore.) - A group in Monmouth is taking big steps to raise awareness about giving hope, and finding help for those struggling with depression, addictions, self-injury and suicide.

The Night of Hope at Western Oregon University takes place October 24th. Organizer Sean Bitzer says the event was originally scheduled for the night before, but scheduling conflicts led to the October 24th date.

In a world that appears to be in a depressing downward spiral; one that all too often offers little or no hope, non-profit organizations are reaching out to create a hope filled solution.

The group hopes that local people come to their special upcoming night of music, and they also seek to reach people outside of Monmouth by utilizing new media technology like the Internet. It's providing a public voice to people who never really had one.

It's a rescue effort, and a mission to spread hope. Sizable goals, ones that need far more of this kind of attention.

The Escape, a local non-profit organization, committed to serving Western Oregon University students in Monmouth and surrounding areas, has partnered with To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA). TWLOHA is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of this event.

Sean Bitzer says his group will utilize opportunities to educate at the concert, "we will also be providing counselors, trained professionals and other resources for those dealing with depression, addictions, self-injury and suicide."

He added, "We believe that a night like this could be so important and life changing for many youth and young adults. Just the opportunity to let them know that someone cares and that there are resources. Without attempting to exaggerate the situation this night will change lives and could even literally save lives. As we work together, many lives will be changed."

Bitzer explained what will take place the night of the event, "The evening is framed around the concept of an awareness concert. As a result, we will have 2-3 bands performing. We have also invited Jamie Tworkowski, founder of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), to come and speak."

He continued, "Between each band Jamie will speak about the realities of suicide, depression, addictions and self-injury and that there is hope, rescue is possible."

Throughout the whole event, they will provide peer counselors and local professional counselors available to speak with anyone who is struggling or is concerned about someone they know who is.

He hopes people reading this help make A Night of Hope possible. "Tell your friends! Send this on to everyone you know, even those outside of the Monmouth/Independence are. Post bulletins, send emails, and include this in your updates, etc. The more people who hear the great success this can be."

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor.
Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), the first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several other awards including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website, affiliated with Google News and several other major search engines and news aggregators.
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