My Nonprofit Reviews

speakforthose
Review for Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors, Evanston, IL, USA
The AOH provides hope to suicide survivors in the truest sense: a process of healing, a safe space, and community support across all lines of class and nationality -- while acknowledging that there is, ultimately, no closure. Suicide is not something we "get over." And yet until AOH, there was no space online where survivors could find each other to help each other reach some semblance of peace. That's why what AOH provides is so important. No one else is doing what AOH does. And given the stigma surrounding suicide, it's sorely needed. The gifts of hope and healing that people receive on the AOH website are incalculable.
Equally important, the site is run by someone who knows her stuff on this topic. Ronnie Walker is a clinically trained trauma and loss expert who provides excellent counseling services. The site isn't just a random meeting place or crossroads, but a guided, carefully constructed space of healing. Her gentle expertise, derived from a wealth of experience, assures suicide survivors that they are in good, safe hands.
Many in my own family have struggled with depression. Although no one has committed suicide, I have, at times, feared that it might happen. The fear itself can be devastating. And I know that I could just as easily be a suicide survivor as any of the community members of AOH. "There but for the grace of God go I." And so I am utterly grateful for AOH's presence. It provides a kind of healing that anyone could need but, until AOH, so few could get.
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I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Although I am not a suicide survivor myself, I know people who are, and I have had the (at times crippling) fear that suicide might take someone I love. Seeing the forums was reassuring and even a bit cathartic on that front. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
The presentation of the website could be polished in spots, like making the community forums easier to find and having an identifiable logo.