VIDEO: Georgia War Veterans Home to host suicide prevention workshop

Sep. 17--A suicide prevention workshop will be hosted all day Wednesday at the Georgia War Veterans Home in Milledgeville with author and nationally recognized speaker Kenneth Koon serving as the keynote speaker.

The workshop will begin at 9 a.m.

Koon will emphasize ways to prevent suicide deaths among military veterans.

Koon, a chaplain, who recently wrote a book titled, "Listen, Learn, Lead -- Courage to Ask Power to Save," will offer special insight and concise framework that can provide individuals from all walks of life with ways to intervene when it comes to helping others.

"Listen, Learn, Lead" is Koon's personal testimony of how he learned to connect with others.

Koon is known as a compassionate leader and master trainer in various intervention models.

The suicide prevention workshop is jointly sponsored by the Armed Forces Mission, WoodmenLife of Milledgeville-Chapter 739, the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, and the Georgia War Veterans Home.

One of those involved in spearheading the workshop is Lauren Ellison, a senior at Lake Oconee Academy in Greene County.

Lauren, whose mother, Cindy Ozburn-Ellison works for Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Company, introduced the program to her daughter.

Lauren, who plays soccer for the Titans and who has plans to enroll at the University of Georgia after high school, said she became involved in the program because she sees the need to do whatever can be done to save lives.

"That includes all of us doing our parts," Lauren said, noting that she accompanied her mother recently when she went to solicit support from Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee. "We met him and then showed him around the center that they are going to be using for this suicide prevention workshop at the Georgia War Veterans Home."

Lauren said the sheriff seemed impressed with the program and excited about deputies and detectives thrusting their support of the suicide prevention program.

"It really means a lot to us that we're getting that kind of support from the community," said Lauren.

Lauren said she became interested in the project after she visited the Georgia War Veterans Home earlier this summer.

"I've had friends of mine who have had suicidal thoughts before and I've seen how that's affected them," Lauren said. "I know the statistics for children and teens and also the statistics for veterans are so high."

Lauren said she and others want to do whatever they can do to greatly reduce suicide death rates in Georgia.

"We need to find ways to intervene and prevent so many of those kinds of deaths," Lauren said. "We have to first equip people with the type of knowledge to know what to look for and knowing the signs, then I believe we can make a big difference."

Lauren said she believes if people have difficulty helping themselves that society has a moral and Christian obligation to reach out and help them.

"In the Bible, Jesus did service to others and if He did service, then we should be serving others," Lauren said, noting that's also a way of demonstrating spiritual encouragement to others.

She said she believes those who want to end their lives want to end their pain.

"People don't necessarily want to die; they want to end their pain," Lauren said. "And if we can give them hope or provide them with someone to talk to so they can get some of that pain off their chest, it can be so tremendous."

Lauren said she has learned through research that it can be important to someone experiencing suicidal thoughts to simply say, "Hey, I just want you to know that you really matter to me. Or maybe send them a simple text, hey, I'm here for you or I love you."

"It can really make all the difference in the world," Lauren said. "If we can give people the knowledge of knowing what kinds of signs to look for then it's really going to help everybody and really make a big difference."

Lauren said she is so grateful to be a part of the suicide prevention workshop that will be taught at the Georgia War Veterans Home off Vinson Highway on Wednesday.

"It makes me feel like I'm making a difference, which I think should be everyone's goal at some point in their lives," Lauren said. "I would hope that everyone would want to do what they could do to help others, even though we don't live in an idealistic world."

Lauren plans to study journalism or political science in college.

Those interested in attending the suicide prevention workshop must pre-register. Those interested can text 706-474-1115 to register.

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