September is suicide prevention month and NAMI Central Iowa is organizing an event to help bring awareness in Jasper County.
NAMI, which stands for National Alliance on Mental Illness, is partnering Capstone and Capitol II Theatre to bring residents two free showings of “Suicide The Ripple Effect” will be at the theatre, 116 First St. N. in Newton. The first will be at 1 p.m. Sept. 27 and the second will be at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30. A question and answer session will follow the film to allow for discussion on the topic.
A free will donation will be taken to help support NAMI Central Iowa’s mission to provide support, education and advocacy to those living with mental health conditions and those who support them. Organizers recommend a minimum age 13 or older per parental discretion.
Those interested can reserve tickets at capitol2.com/covidseatchoice, the tickets are free but a $1.50 convenience fee will be charged for the reservations. The theatre has implemented multiple safety precautions for all showings.
During this event, face masks are required to be worn, except while eating concessions. All safety measures are listed on the theatre’s website.
Angela Tharp, CEO of NAMI Central Iowa, said the only prevention of suicide is to bring awareness of the topic. Showing “Suicide the Ripple Effect” and following discussion presents the perfect opportunity to start a conversation on the topic.
“As a community we will watch a documentary about Kevin Hines and his family, friends and community members experience or ripple effect after Kevin tried to die by suicide. We will spend time after the event in discussion and question and answer time about help and hope available,” Tharp said.
Talking about mental illness is the best way to end certain stigmas and discrimination people suffering from those conditions face. Tharp hopes by watching the film, people will discover resources available to them in their own counties.
“We hope people will recognize that there is a purpose to their life and they ARE to be here tomorrow. We hope that people become aware of their voice, and how using your mental health condition to make a difference is possible,” Tharp said.
If anyone is interested in scheduling a virtual group viewing at another time, they may contact Tharp at 515-292-9400 or Info@namicentraliowa.org.
Contact Pam Pratt at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 or pampratt@newtondailynews.com