Suicide Prevention Awareness Bench

Serving as a reminder that suicide affects so many while connecting those in crisis to the resources they need

Suicide Prevention Awareness Bench image

In Sarpy County, Crisis Response Teams and Law Enforcement respond to people on some of the hardest days of their lives; moments when hope feels distant and support can feel out of reach. Suicide is not a distant issue; it is something affecting individuals, families, and our community every single year.

Across Nebraska, 284 people died by suicide in 2023, a rate of 14.5 per 100,000 people, and that number has increased more than 40% over the past two decades.

In the Metro area, including Sarpy County, the suicide rate sits around 14.1 per 100,000, and has been steadily increasing over time, mirroring national trends.

Behind every number is a person; someone’s friend, partner, parent, or child.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: many people who struggle never step into a clinic, call a hotline, or ask for help. They sit on a park bench. They go for a walk. They try to get through one more moment.

What We’re Creating

Our goal is to install a suicide prevention awareness bench in Sarpy County. This will be a visible, permanent reminder that no one is alone.

This bench will:

  • Include a QR code linking directly to local crisis resources
  • Serve as a quiet point of connection for someone who may not be ready to ask for help out loud
  • Create a public acknowledgment that mental health matters here

It’s simple, but that’s the point. When someone is in crisis, access needs to be immediate, private, and easy.

Why Now?

We know from both data and experience:

  • Suicide rates are rising locally and nationally
  • Many people experiencing crisis rarely engage traditional systems of care
  • Small, accessible interventions can create a critical moment of pause and sometimes, that pause is enough

This bench is not just symbolic. It is functional, intentional, and potentially life-saving.

Our Goal

We are raising $6,000 to design and install the bench in a public space in Sarpy County (North Park in Springfield). We have already raised $3,000, and we are asking our community to help us close the gap.

This project is about more than a bench. It’s about:

  • Meeting people where they are;
  • Reducing stigma in a visible way; and,
  • Creating one more opportunity for someone to choose to stay.

Because sometimes, the difference between life and death isn’t a full intervention; it’s a moment. A pause. A sign that someone cares.