Send Silence Packing

Send Silence Packing will be at the Fairfax Corner Shopping Center (11945 Grand Commons Ave, Fairfax, VA 22030) on May 12th from 9am-5pm in a local community display sponsored by The Josh Anderson Foundation. In the case of inclement weather, we will display indoors at the Mott Community Center (12111 Braddock Road, Fairfax, VA 22030).

"Suicide claims the lives of more than 1,100 college students each year, and each one of those deaths touches us all. Send Silence Packing is an award winning program by Active Minds Inc. to promote a dialogue about mental health issues on campus and combat the incidence of student suicide.  Active Minds hopes that by empowering students and the student voice in mental health awareness, we will see the day when mental health issues are widely discussed, and the number of tragic deaths due to suicide is reduced to 0.

Send Silence Packing is an exhibit of 1,100 backpacks representing the number of college student lives lost to suicide each year.  Active Minds Inc. has collected and continues to collect backpacks and personal stories in memory or in honor of loved ones impacted by suicide.  By displaying backpacks with personal stories of loved ones that put a "face" to lives lost to suicide, Send Silence Packing carries the message that preventing suicide is not just about lowering statistics, but also about saving the lives of students, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters and friends across the nation.  Contributions serve as a meaningful outlet for survivors' grief as well as a powerful way to raise awareness and work towards suicide prevention."

Posted by Susan Larson for NCAChapter.AFSP@gmail.com