Welcome to Messages For Hope
Our site was created for the survivors of suicide loss, those trying to aid those who have lost someone to suicide, for suicide prevention through education, and for those who are dealing with mental health and wellness issues. Our hope is that you will utilize this site for help in locating useful information, and also to aid in connecting with others dealing with similar issues.
If you have lost someone to suicide please honor your loved one's memory by including their name on our memorial wall. You may want to connect to other survivors either by: posting on our survivor's forum, following our group page on Facebook, or by joining our community page on Facebook. You may also be interested in Debbie Cardwell's (Co-Founder), blog of her journey after the loss of her daughter in 2008.
If you are interested in mental health and wellness support feel free to join our Voices For Hope Peer Support Group for Mood Disorders group on Facebook.
We also have many links to websites with a vast array of information on our resource links tab.
If you are located in West Virginia you may be interested in attending one of our support groups, we have groups in both Huntington and Charleston for survivors of suicide loss: Healing Hearts of Survivors of Suicide Loss; and a group in Charleston for mental health and wellness: Voices For Hope.
If you have lost someone to suicide please honor your loved one's memory by including their name on our memorial wall. You may want to connect to other survivors either by: posting on our survivor's forum, following our group page on Facebook, or by joining our community page on Facebook. You may also be interested in Debbie Cardwell's (Co-Founder), blog of her journey after the loss of her daughter in 2008.
If you are interested in mental health and wellness support feel free to join our Voices For Hope Peer Support Group for Mood Disorders group on Facebook.
We also have many links to websites with a vast array of information on our resource links tab.
If you are located in West Virginia you may be interested in attending one of our support groups, we have groups in both Huntington and Charleston for survivors of suicide loss: Healing Hearts of Survivors of Suicide Loss; and a group in Charleston for mental health and wellness: Voices For Hope.
How You Can Help....
- If someone is threatening suicide call 911 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or, click the banner at the bottom of most of the pages on this website to contact the suicide prevention lifeline.
- Learn the signs of someone who is considering suicide.
- Reference this website and the links contained here to help us educate the public about the stigmas surrounding mental health and suicide.
Of course, we also need funding to move forward with this important cause. Until we are granted tax exempt status by the IRS we cannot accept tax deductable donations but, we still need your support. Although your donations are not tax deductible until we have reached our goal of the IRS 501 (c) (3) status, any donations will be considered retroactive upon our organization receiving the necessary paperwork. You will need to keep your receipts for any donations and we hope you will consider donating by clicking the PayPal button at the bottom of this page, or for your convenience we have a button located on most of the pages on this website.
Or, you may mail a check to:
Messages For Hope, Inc.
P.O. Box 40213
Charleston, WV 25364
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our services, groups, or mission please email Debbie Cardwell or call us at (681) 313-9296.
Support Groups
Our "Healing Hearts of Survivors of Suicide Loss" support groups are family oriented and our desire is to aid in the healing of the entire family. Our groups learn about the stigmas surrounding suicide and mental health issues that will aid them in understanding the social problems that develop during their grieving process and how to cope with them. They learn how to put the "pieces of the puzzle" together after a suicide to try and make sense of their grief and understand the mental health problems that may have existed prior to the suicide. We learn how to regain our spirituality, and let go of our guilt, and then to reach out to others to help them through their pain. We are also focused on suicide prevention education - to teach others the risk factors and signs to be aware of when someone is threatening suicide.
Our "Voices For Hope" support groups are family oriented and our desire is aid the entire family as they deal with mental health issues. Our groups are led by a trained "peer" facilitator who guides the discussion to assist each member of the group on ways to deal with mental illness. Each member of the group is allowed time to speak about their issues (voluntarily) so that other members of the group may learn skills from each other.
Where we are...
In December 2010 we began “Healing Hearts of Survivors of Suicide Loss” Support Groups in both Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia and the response has been overwhelming. We have found that there is a great need for more support groups in our state, both for adults and children. Our experience also clearly demonstrates a need for more resources available for the newly bereaved.
On March 16th, 2011 we formed Messages for Hope, Inc.,a new non-profit organization focusing on assisting survivors of suicide loss. We have started the lengthy application process for tax exempt status under IRS 501(c) (3). Once we are granted this status, we will be able to receive tax deductible donations and apply for a number of grants to fund our support of the survivors of a suicide loss and continue to make available resources for the prevention of suicide.
On January 24, 2012 we began "Voices For Hope" Support Groups in Charleston, WV. These groups are focused on supporting individuals and their loved ones in dealing with mental health and wellness issues in a compassionate, supportive environment led by a "peer" facilitator.
Our "Voices For Hope" support groups are family oriented and our desire is aid the entire family as they deal with mental health issues. Our groups are led by a trained "peer" facilitator who guides the discussion to assist each member of the group on ways to deal with mental illness. Each member of the group is allowed time to speak about their issues (voluntarily) so that other members of the group may learn skills from each other.
Where we are...
In December 2010 we began “Healing Hearts of Survivors of Suicide Loss” Support Groups in both Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia and the response has been overwhelming. We have found that there is a great need for more support groups in our state, both for adults and children. Our experience also clearly demonstrates a need for more resources available for the newly bereaved.
On March 16th, 2011 we formed Messages for Hope, Inc.,a new non-profit organization focusing on assisting survivors of suicide loss. We have started the lengthy application process for tax exempt status under IRS 501(c) (3). Once we are granted this status, we will be able to receive tax deductible donations and apply for a number of grants to fund our support of the survivors of a suicide loss and continue to make available resources for the prevention of suicide.
On January 24, 2012 we began "Voices For Hope" Support Groups in Charleston, WV. These groups are focused on supporting individuals and their loved ones in dealing with mental health and wellness issues in a compassionate, supportive environment led by a "peer" facilitator.
Why we care...
Since you have found this site you, or someone you know may be going through the devastating loss of a loved one by suicide. It was May 13th, 2008 when my daughter died from suicide - she was 29 years old with two beautiful children. I quickly discovered that not only are you trying to recover from the gut-wrenching pain of such a tragic loss - you are also discovering that people are treating you differently. You are trying to understand why your loved one died, but the grief is so deep and paralyzing that you can hardly function and yet you know that you have to continue on with all the normal day to day activities that is required to live like a "normal" person. You wonder if you will ever stop crying, many think of taking there own life. There is an overwhelming need to figure out why and slowly you try to put the pieces together like a puzzle. You learn more about suicide than you ever wanted to know. You have to look for answers from anywhere you can find - you start reading books, searching the internet, you learn quickly that no one really wants to talk about IT. You did not know that you should feel shame, but you soon realize that many people think you should. Some feel shame and think they failed somehow and certainly the treatment they receive later convinces them that it must be true. We learn that we should not talk about it, no one wants to hear about it - people really think that you should "just move on" and it does not work that way at all! The discovery of the changes with your friends, coworkers, and some family members then depresses you even further and then you grieve the loss of your friends and become angry with your family and coworkers. If you are blessed with having a support system you are in a minority for sure. You slowly learn about the stigmas surrounding mental health issues and suicide and the knowledge will either make you want to shout out your anger or retreat into yourself. Either way life is not what it used to be and will never be the same. Your faith has been shaken completely and you are not sure why God would ever allow something like this to happen and then at the same time there are people asking you if the loved one that died was "right with God"?? The implications are that God will not love them? That they will go to hell? I am not sure what people are thinking when they suggest such things--it is maddening for sure. It's all just too much! There are so many questions without any answers and you need to talk to someone - anyone will do - there has too be someone who cares about what just happened. Am I ever going to stop crying? Will I ever heal? Is my life ever going to be the same again? This site was designed to allow the survivors a voice - and hopefully some answers through the Resource Links, Forum, and the Blog of the Survivor's Journey. I write the blog - the mother missing her beautiful daughter. Please join our discussions on the forum, share your story, write on the Memorial Wall to honor your missing loved. Please take the time to share your experience to help others as I share my journey with you. Please add the name of your loved one to our Memory Wall by clicking on the tab at the top of the page.
Thank You for visiting! -- Debbie Cardwell
Thank You for visiting! -- Debbie Cardwell
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Please Note: Your Donations are currently NOT tax deductible
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