9-8-8 Day

The first annual 988 Day is happening on September 8^th, 2024.  9-8-8 is the National Suicide Prevention hotline, in which anyone can call, text or chat with a trained dispatcher available simply listen without judgement, and to guide callers to additional help if needed.  The goal of 988 day on 9/8 is to raise awareness of the 9-8-8 Lifeline in order to help anyone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis, and to save lives!  Faith communities are invited to help spread the word about 988 Day, and throughout September, which is National Suicide Prevention Month.  We invite you to include announcements in your bulletin and prayers in your Liturgies to ensure that your community knows that “If you or someone you know is in crisis, or just needs someone to talk to, 9-8-8 Lifeline is there for you!”

Free 9-8-8 Lifeline materials, along with ideas for promoting 988 Day, are available at: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988/newsroom/988-day

Sample prayers of the Faithful for 988 Day and throughout Suicide Awareness Month can be found at the National Catholic Partnership on Disability’s website: https://ncpd.org/resources_and_toolkits/prayers-faithful-suicide-awareness-month