The Power of One: Sarah Gan
Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center and Mental Health Services
Sarah volunteers for the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center and Mental Health Services for four hours a week. She communicates with callers on the Crisis Line and has prevented over 30 callers from suicide.
"My favorite thing about volunteering would be seeing the results. Seeing how happy my work contributes to their emotional well being makes a difference. They started out the call crying , but towards the end, they sound like they are in a better mental state. The results motivate me to work harder and make a change in the world." -Sarah
" Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced. " - James Baldwin
What is an upstander?
up·stand·er:
ˈəpˌstandər
noun
up·stand·er:
ˈəpˌstandər
noun
- a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked or bullied.
In my eyes, an upstander is someone who makes positive changes in the world by their own actions. The impacts do not need to be big in order for someone to be an upstander. You can be an upstander by accomplishing very simple actions such as picking up trash from the side of the road and helping an elderly lady carry her groceries. The importance about upstanding is that you are making changes with your actions and are willing to make a commitment.
How is Sarah an upstander?
By emotionally engaging with callers over phone, Sarah is upstanding against one of the biggest issues the world faces today: suicidal thoughts. She is saving lives, young and old, from attempting suicide after conducting a specific process including a "risk assessment" and time where she explores alternatives to output the caller’s current emotional crisis. Sarah is an upstander because she is helping others overcome mental barriers through communication, by doing so, she is changing people’s lives with her own actions. Due to the pandemic and the drastic decrease of social interactions, more people are overwhelmed by their emotions, so it is important that Sarah provides social help to maintain their mental health.
About the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
"Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services has provided free mental health, substance use disorder and suicide prevention services since 1942. Dedicated to serving communities where stigma or poverty limits access, Didi Hirsch helps more than 150,000 children and adults from 10 locations and 100 schools throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties each year."
Source:
didihirsch.org/about-us/
Source:
didihirsch.org/about-us/
My Exhibition:
Videos of Me Explaining the Project :
Part 1:
Part 2: