On Friday, Sept. 15, Jones County Junior College observed suicide awareness by setting out desks with red balloons attached to them, each representing the number of students who fell victim to suicide. When JCJC sophomore Taylor Pippin saw this, she got chills.
Pippin spoke out on Facebook to share that mental health is just as important as physical health.
“I will never understand why society feels the need to shame those who are mentally unhealthy. You wouldn’t see someone shaming you for having the flu, or telling you you’re weak for seeking help,” Pippin said in her post.
Pippin’s post was shared over 2,000 times, spreading her and JCJC’s message to many more people than she had imagined.
“The fact that JCJC is willing to spread awareness about suicide, speaks volumes about the school,” Pippin said.
Pippin has started a project on mental health awareness called project 910. She plans to interview people and share their stories, anonymously or not. If someone wants to volunteer and not be interviewed, there are still plenty of ways to be involved. If someone is interested they can contact Taylor Pippin or email project_910@yahoo.com.
The original post can be seen at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1281501175305998&set=p.1281501175305998&type=3&theater .
by Kristen Feraci
