Today, we wanted to introduce you to a magnificent woman who puts her passion and experience towards contributing a great deal of positivity to a very important local organization.
Meet Molly Fiore. Molly is the Program Director at Speak Up Reach Out – located right here in Eagle, Colorado.
MOLLY’S JOURNEY
Molly has struggled with depression since the age of 12. At the time, she didn’t actually know what depression was, but she did know that talking about her feelings of sadness wasn’t an option.
So, from the age of 12 to 35, she struggled with depression each and every day of her life. She felt alone, lost and like she had nowhere to turn.
At 35, she officially reached a suicidal crisis. She didn’t trust herself to be alone, as she worried she’d take her own life.
At this point, she knew she needed immediate help. But, she didn’t know where to go. She didn’t want to go to the ER because at the time she worked in the hospital and was fearful co-workers might see her.
She decided to go to an urgent care facility, which wasn’t a very productive experience. They had no idea how to deal with Molly’s situation and walked her into an equipment room and told her she was being disruptive.
She knew from that moment on that people in similar situations deserved more from a mental health perspective.
MOLLY’S PATH TO SPEAK UP REACH OUT
Molly realized that she didn’t ever want to see anyone go through what she had. She didn’t want anyone to feel that scared, confused, alone or like there was nowhere to turn. In 2009, she joined Speak Up Reach Out.
In her current role, she works to educate the community about suicide prevention and develops events and trainings in the community to help raise awareness around this very important topic.
The organization’s mission to prevent suicide In Eagle County by providing education, training, and HOPE! And, this is very important, especially now. Here are some alarming statistics.
- Last year’s suicide numbers for Eagle County were highest in recorded history
- In Colorado, suicide accounted for the second leading cause of death for ages 15-44
So, this organization is definitely one that our community needs and should support!
Molly shared with us that many who struggle with suicidal thoughts CAN be helped. They just need the right tools. They need to feel empowered to speak and know their voice will be heard with no judgment. In addition, the community can play a very critical role.
“Awareness is a huge part of preventing suicide. Knowing how you to identify someone who may be in crisis and having the right tools to help them can literally save a life,” shared Molly.
A recent study of junior high and high schoolers showed that ⅓ showed signs of depression! So, it’s clear that everyone is being affected by this.
“The challenge is there’s a lot of misconceptions about suicide. Many people think it’s a choice or something you can just snap out of, but that’s very far from the truth. Most people can find peace with depression, but they need access to tools, resources and humans who can help support that,” explained Molly.
That’s where as a community, we can help!
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
We asked Molly to share a few ways that WE can help support the efforts of Speak Up Reach Out.
Here’s what she had to say….
- Attend a QPR training. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer. It’s a one-hour training that teaches warning signs and how to link someone to help. Think of it as a CPR (but probably something you’ll use more!). Speak Up Reach Out offers this classes and they can also be found here if you’re interested in taking one online.
- Write down and share the Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800- 273-8255.
- Donate and/or volunteer! You can find more information here: https://www.speakupreachout.org/give-back
Molly, we wanted to sincerely thank you for sharing her story with us! Your work is not only important to this cause as a whole, but also to our VERY own community.
Please help support this wonderful organization in whatever way you can!
For more information about Speak Up Reach out, visit their website at https://www.speakupreachout.org/ and stay updated by connecting with them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SpeakUpReachOutEagleCounty/.