Focus on depression, bullying and suicide
The Community Foundation serving Southwest Colorado is hosting our next Making A Difference Speaker to tackle issues that have affected so many people in our community: depression, bullying and suicide. Our Keynote Speaker on April 23, 7 p.m. at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College is Monica Lewinsky.
Lewinsky will share her story of resilience after losing her reputation on a global scale. Lewinsky battled depression and thoughts of suicide. She remained silent for years and has recently decided she cannot be a bystander to cyberbullying and shaming any longer. “Every day online, people, especially young people who are not developmentally equipped to handle this, are so abused and humiliated that they can’t imagine living to the next day, and some tragically don’t. And there’s nothing virtual about that,” says Monica Lewinsky in her TED Talk, “The Price of Shame.”
As part of the evening event a panel of local experts will share resources and efforts related to important mental health issues in our region.
“The Community Foundation is proud to be a catalyst driving conversations about improving mental health and removing the stigmas of shame and depression” says Briggen Wrinkle, Community Foundation serving SW Colorado.
Tickets for the evening event, Post Positive: Change the Content, are $35, $45 & $55 and can be purchased online at durangoconcerts.com.
A second event, April 24, 12 p.m. at the Henry Strater Theatre, will be a limited-seating luncheon with a storytelling focus. Lewinsky will be joined by locals who will share their struggles with overcoming bullying. Tickets for the luncheon are $100 and can be purchased at swcommunityfoundation.org.
The Community Foundation’s Making a Difference Speaker Series, now in its third year, brings nationally known speakers to motivate our community into taking action, refining the conversation, and inspiring philanthropic change.
The Foundation manages more than $5 million in investments for philanthropists in our community, offering invaluable resources to ensure that donors can be impactful with their giving, making a difference in the lives of others.