Be The Voice Game Night fights suicide stigma

When Kristena Strum’s brother, Bryan Strum, took his own life in 2009, she felt alone.

The experience led her to become a tireless advocate for suicide prevention, and in August, she’s hosting a Be The Voice Game Night, to let others in the community know they’re not alone, either.

“People don’t realize that it can happen to anyone, and it’s just not talked about,” Strum said. “It’s not going away, and it’s going to get worse before it gets any better.”

This is the second Be The Voice event local organizers have hosted in Newton. Strum said she’s hoping residents who are struggling with thoughts of suicide or the loss of a loved one will have an opportunity to come together as a community. Organizers will meet at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Maytag Park in Newton to play games and share their stories. Organizing and hosting the events have helped Strum and her family find a sense of closure after her brother’s death.

“I love it. What’s cool is our family is supporting this now, too,” Strum said. “It’s like a family thing, where we can finally grieve his loss, instead of just shoving it in the back. It’s nice, it helps me get through the hard times.”

Several guest speakers will be at the event. Strum said she feels it’s beneficial to have survivors share their stories, something she feels will help break the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide. Strum is hoping to make the game night an annual tradition, she’d like to host at two events a year in Newton. Giving residents who are struggling to find an outlet to spend time together in the community is beneficial, Strum said.

“It lets people know they can know they can share their story too, and they can come forward,” Strum said. “I wanted to do it twice a year. We have seasonal depression, and especially when it gets cold and those holidays come around I really want the community to be able to get together and be there for one another during those hard times.”

Julie Bishop Gibson, a grant coordinator for Skiff Medical Center in Newton who has been leading mental health awareness events across Jasper County, said she hopes the event will break the stigma surrounding suicide and shed more light on what’s becoming a serious problem. Hosting the game night is a fun way to bring community members together to talk about a serious issue, she said.

“We dreamed up this game night, substance-free, mentally healthy event just to bring people out,” Gibson said. “We just think it’s a great way for the community to do something fun and be together. That supports everyone’s mental health.”

According to statistics from the Center for Disease Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Iowans aged 15-34. In 2016, 451 Iowans committed suicide. The state is ranked number 29 in the nation for deaths by suicide. Gibson’s hope is that by increasing awareness local residents will be more likely to get involved in prevention efforts.

“We hope to initiate some community-based readiness prevention efforts within the county,” Gibson said. “Support is needed for people who survive these things.”

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com