Did you know that suicide is the leading cause of death for people under 44 in Australia?

• Around 2000 Australians die by suicide every year, affecting families, friends, workplaces and communities.
   
• For every completed suicide it is estimated that as many as 30 people attempt. That’s 180 attempts per day and more than one new attempt in Australia, every 10 minutes.
   
• It is estimated that 249 people make a suicide plan everyday.
   
• It is estimated that as many as 1014 people think about suicide every day.

Each and every day, Lifeline works to prevent suicide by offering life-saving assistance. Their work touches every community in Australia as they receive over a million contacts each year from people needing care and support.
 

They connect people to counselling, learning and information through personal service and innovative technology. They place services and support living and wellbeing within the reach of everyone, as after all, everyone has the right to be heard, understood and cared for.
 

I am helping to support Lifeline by walking the Kokoda Track in April 2012 and aim to raise a minimum of $3,500, which will go directly to expanding Lifeline’s reach through two new incredibly important services:

1. Online Crisis Support Chat – this service has greatly increased Lifeline’s ability to assist both younger help seekers and individuals living in rural and remote communities.
2. Full time overnight (paid) telephone crisis supporters. Over 20% of their calls are received between midnight and 6am, a period when Lifeline finds it most difficult to find volunteers to answer phones.

Lifeline believes that nobody has to face their problems alone. Your support will allow Lifeline to help more people in crisis.

We all have a role to play in suicide prevention - “Living is for Everyone.”

Thank you.

G.I. Jane