2020 Vashon Suicide Prevention Campaign
September 2, 2020
The Double Disaster: When the pandemic struck, it quickly became clear that our island community faced two emergencies. First, there was the need to fight the disease, help people understand how to keep themselves and their families safe. Second, our community was being hit by a devastating economic and emotional disaster.
Islanders at Emotional Risk: At peak, a quarter of all Vashon workers had applied for unemployment benefits. A Chamber of Commerce survey showed that 40% of our businesses went dark. Schools sent kids home. Hundreds of families are worrying about getting enough food, keeping a home, and making choices between safety and essential work paychecks. Isolated seniors are descending into loneliness and depression. Island social service agencies are seeing increased substance abuse and household violence.
