2021  HIGHLIGHTS:

• April - Held our Annual Jerry's Walk (Virtually) Thank you for all those who sponsored, and those who donated and held their own walks in honor of those we have lost.

• Received a donation from St Clairsville Rotary Club! Thank you!

 

2020 HIGHLIGHTS:

• COVID YEAR!

• Our Annual walk was cancelled due to Covid. 

 

2019  HIGHLIGHTS:

Jerry’s Walk started 2019 with an ever-increasing commitment to doing all it can to prevent suicide.  We have broadened our   efforts to promote suicide awareness and education in the Belmont County area and we want those of you who have supported our efforts to know how your generous contributions are being used:

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• 3rd Annual Jerry’s Walk was held April 28th and, thanks to you, it was another successful event! We were joined by more than 125 walkers and raised close to $7000! It was a wonderful day filled with support for survivors and shared memories of those we’ve lost to suicide.

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• Jerry’s Walk was excited to unveil its revamped website, www.jerryswalk.org . Working with a very talented student from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, we made our site more user friendly and specifically expanded the resource and news pages on the site make them more useful.

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• Over the last several months, Jerry’s Walk has embarked on an exciting project with Senior Services of Belmont County. Working together, we plan to provide training to Meals on Wheels drivers to educate them on suicide warning signs and how to recognize those signs in the Seniors they serve. This training, known as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) is akin to CPR in that it provides basic skills that anyone can use to help a person struggling with suicidal thoughts.  As part of this project, Jerry’s Walk underwrote NAMI Executive Director Amy Gamble’s expenses to become a certified QPR trainer. We will provide the QPR training to the drivers and the senior staff at Senior Services. Jerry’s Walk will also make the QPR training available to any group in the Ohio Valley area, free of charge.

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• Jerry’s Walk was immensely honored to be the recipient of the annual charitable contribution from the Belmont County Bar Association. We continue to be thankful for the Bar Association’s support of our mission to prevent suicide in Belmont County.

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• In March, Jerry’s Walk participated in the Barnesville Resource Fair at Barnesville High School.

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• Sandy Williams, Jerry’s Walk President, appeared on Spectrum 1’s Mike Kallmeyer “In Focus” program to discuss the stigma that surrounds suicide and why stigma makes it more difficult for those who struggle with suicidal thoughts to reach out for help.

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• Sandy was a speaker at NAMI Ohio’s Legislative Day at the Ohio State House, discussing suicide and sharing her experiences as a survivor. Sandy also served as the featured speaker at the NAMI Knox/Licking County Suicide Prevention Coalition annual walk.

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• Again this year, partnering with NAMI Greater Wheeling and United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, Jerry’s Walk celebrated World Semi-Colon Day by placing suicide prevention information on billboards throughout Belmont and Ohio counties for the month of April. World Semi-Colon Day was created to inform people about how common suicide is and also for those who have attempted or thought of suicide, to share their stories. 

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• Jerry’s Walk is excited to work with NAMI Greater Wheeling to establish a support group specifically for suicide loss survivors. The group meets weekly in St. Clairsville (check our website for further information on joining the group).

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• In September, Jerry’s Walk participated in Ohio University, Eastern Campus’ Fall Fest.

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• In October, Jerry’s Walk participated in the annual Veteran Stand Down in Wheeling. This event is sponsored by Valley Hospice and I-C Care.

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• Also in October the annual NAMI Greater Wheeling Walk for Awareness at Wheeling Park is scheduled, and Jerry’s Walk is excited to once again participate in the Walk to support our good friends at NAMI.

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• In November, Jerry’s Walk held its 3rd Annual International Survivor’s Day event on November 23rd at the Community Room at the Ohio Valley Mall, St. Clairsville. This event is an opportunity for suicide survivors to join together and offer support to each other while at the same time remember our loved ones.

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