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Councilors honor parent during Mental Health Awareness Month

Councilors Pressley and Essaibi-George honored Joseph D. Feaster, Jr., a parent who lost his son to mental illness in 2010.

The honor comes during Mental Health Awareness Month, which takes place in May each year. The month seeks to spread awareness of how we can prevent suicide and provide support to impacted families.

Feaster currently serves on the advisory council of Samaritans, Inc., whose mission is to “reduce the incidence of suicide by alleviating despair, isolation, distress and suicidal feelings among individuals in our community.”

Feaster said, “The whole issue around mental health and suicide is my ministry… My son passed August 3, 2010. Those of us who have suffered a loss, we never forget the date, we never forget the time.  What I decided to do was take that particular loss and be an advocate on the issues of mental health and suicide.”

If you need to talk to someone about how you’re feeling, grieve the loss of a loved one to suicide, or want to learn how to help others in crisis, you can find support with Samaritans, Inc. Visit samaritanshope.org for more information.

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