Start the conversation
The response to the pop-up coffee booths designed to raise awareness about suicide and provide resources on what to do and the signs to look for drew a good number of inquiries according to Tracey Boast Radley Director, Viking/Beaver Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).
Members of Viking/Beaver (FCSS) were joined by Tofield/Ryley/Beaver West FCSS, Alberta Health Services, and Beaver County Victim Services in hosting the pop-up coffee booths across the county to “Start the Conversation” and raise awareness about suicide.
The joint effort saw booths set up Thursday, Sept. 10 in front of the Viking Post Office moving mid-morning to the Cenotaph in Holden and to the Beaver County Service Centre in Ryley over the lunch hour, concluding the day at a booth in front of the Tofield Post office.
In addition to offering a coffee and conversation to visitors, the locations were equipped with pamphlets offering information on suicide prevention.
A postcard available at the booth explained that in Alberta suicide takes more than 500 lives and that over 75 per cent of those deaths are men.
