MISSOULA – A Missoula alleyway made for a blank canvas Friday that turned into a message of hope.
It was painted with scenes of resilience by supporters of Project Tomorrow Montana as the group kicked off a series of events for National Suicide Prevention Week.
The project supports people living with mental illness and offers resources to prevent suicide.
The central message of the mural is found where a butterfly is depicted emerging from a chrysalis. Plenty of other butterflies were added today as well by people who grabbed a stencil and a can of paint to fill in the alleyway scene.
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United Way of Missoula, The Missoula City-County Health Department, the University of Montana, and the cities’ business sector collaborate to form Project Tomorrow Montana.
Montana tops the charts in suicide rate rankings, something that United Way of Missoula CEO and chair of Project Tomorrow Montana Susan Hay Patrick calls it a crisis.
“Suicide is a public health crisis in our community, our state, our country, and we have a whole week of activities designed to shed a light of help and hope on depression, mental health issues, and suicide in Missoula.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please call the national suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
-Augusta McDonnell reporting for MTN News
