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Grieving relatives and friends are the ones who benefit most from the healing properties of Before Their Time’s music. Revenue from the sale of Before Their Time albums contributes financial support to four suicide prevention and Hospice organizations: the NH Youth Suicide Prevention Assembly, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire, and the National Hospice Foundation.
The New Hampshire Youth Suicide Prevention Assembly develops and coordinates youth suicide prevention strategies through community and school education programs, and prevention and intervention efforts in New Hamsphire. YSPA’s membership includes the broad experience and perspectives of professionals in the fields of mental and public health, teaching and school administration, public safety and accident prevention, local and state government and, of course, parents – all of whom are concerned about and committed to reducing the tragic incidence of suicide among young people. Since its formation in 1994, YSPA has held six statewide suicide prevention conferences; collected and disseminated data on youth suicide deaths and attempts; initially developed and obtained funding for the Frameworks Project now operated by NAMI NH; worked with newspaper editors and reporters to increase awareness of the recommendations for responsible media reporting of suicides to minimize incidents of copy-cat suicides; and implemented a Survivor Packet that is sent to the next of kin of those who die by suicide. The packet includes information on grief, survivor resources and a copy of one of the Before Their Time collections. YSPA is led by three coordinators representing diverse organizations and the public/private partnership. They include: the Injury Prevention Center at Dartmouth in Lebanon (www.dhmc.org/injury_prevention_center.cfm) the New Hampshire chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Health (www.naminh.org) and the Bureau of Behavioral Health, NH DHHS. YSPA recognized the Before Their Time project with the first “Friend of YSPA Award” at the 2006 conference.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, founded in 1987, is dedicated to advancing our knowledge of suicide and our ability to prevent it. This foundation’s activities include
With regional and local affiliates all over the country, AFSP offers workshops for survivor group leaders, conferences on survivor issues and a national directory of more than 300 Survivor of Suicide support groups, composed of people who have lost someone to suicide and who help and encourage each other to go forward with their lives. AFSP hosts the Lifesavers Dinner each May in New York City, which helps raise money for research and survivor support, calls public attention to AFSP’s efforts, and brings together hundreds of business, professional, and community leaders from all over the country who are interested in suicide prevention. Through this combination of activities, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is developing an integrated, nationwide program that is enabling mental health professionals, business and community leaders, the concerned public, and survivors to join together to do more to prevent the tragedy of suicide. AFSP’ national offices are in New York. Visit www.afsp.org.
VNA and Hospice VNH is one of thousands of local hospice organizations in the United States and other countries that provide end-of-life care and support for patients and their families. Hospice care is well known for assisting families and individuals to make it possible for terminally ill people to die in the familiar surroundings of their homes, instead of in a hospital or nursing home. The philosophy of hospice care actually focuses on living, according to Marie Kirn, a former director of New England hospice programs: “If we recognize that dying is a part of life – that it is a natural and powerful event – we can enjoy a freedom not from sorrow, but from the fear that limits our ability to love, so we can live all our days more fully.” Hospice care extends to families and friends. After a death, hospices include support services to help survivors cope with their loss, since taking the time to go through the grief – instead of trying to avoid it – is the first step in healing. Bereavement support groups offer one way to regain one's emotional footing. “Telling our story is a way of affirming the life of someone we miss,” says one survivor: “a way to move our grief along and contribute to our own healing.” In all ways, hospice care is about individuals helping each other with the many stages of living.
The National Hospice Foundation strives to broaden America’s understanding of hospice through research and education. Its mission is to expand America’s vision for end-of-life care, and to help ensure that people have the opportunity to
Both national organizations are headquartered in Alexandria, Va. Visit www.hospiceinfo.org and www.nhpco.org.
Expenses to produce Before Their Time were underwritten by grants from the following charitable organizations:
PAV Foundation
Generous gifts have also been received from hundreds of individuals, including memorial contributions in memory of
Doug Thompson
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 Before Their Time, Box 222, Lyme, NH 03768 |(800) 447-3803
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