International Survivors Of Suicide Loss Day

People who have experienced the loss of someone to suicide are invited to come together for connection, understanding, and hope during a local International Survivors of Suicide Loss (ISOSL) Day event on Saturday, Nov. 21.

This free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Healing Patch Children’s Grief Program, 20 Sheraton Drive, Altoona, and is open to adult suicide loss survivors in Blair, Cambria, and surrounding counties. Lunch will be provided.

Registration is required by Nov. 13. Participants can register at: https://altoona-pennsylvania.isosld.afsp.org/

During the event, participants will watch a short documentary created for and about suicide loss survivors, take part in facilitated discussion, and have an opportunity to create a memorial activity honoring those who have died.

For many survivors, the day can provide a meaningful reminder that they are not alone in their grief.

One past participant said, “International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day was a way for me to feel connected to a community that truly understands me in a way almost no one else in my life does.”

ISOSL Day was established by Congress in 1999 and is supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Events are held in communities across the United States and around the world each year.

The Altoona event is free to attend, but advanced registration is required by Friday, Nov. 13.

For questions about the local ISOSL Day event, please contact the Blair County Suicide Prevention Task Force at BlairCountySPTF@gmail.com.