Orange Youth Services recently installed signs for the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in several locations around town. Photo courtesy of the Orange Youth Services.
Orange Youth Services and the Orange Prevention team recently installed three “988 There Is Hope” signs in town. Two are located at High Plains Community Center, and one is at the Wepawaug Conservation Area.
The signs are meant to provide support, encouragement and mental health resources to individuals who may be experiencing mental health challenges.
The signs prominently display the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the national prevention hotline. The hotline was created to provide immediate support for suicidal thoughts or crisis situations; mental health challenges; substance use concerns; emotional support for anyone in distress; and support for friends or family worried about someone.
People can call or text 988 any time to connect with trained counselors confidentially and free of charge.
By placing these signs in outdoor community spaces, organizers said they hope to remind residents that help is available and that no one has to struggle alone.
“We want every person who visits these areas to know there is hope and there are people who care,” Orange Youth Services and Prevention said in a release. “A simple message at the right moment can make a meaningful difference.”