(WACO, Texas) — September is Suicide Awareness Month, and hundreds of Waco community members are marking it by walking out of the darkness together.
The 13th annual Out of the Darkness Walk brings together 800 neighbors for a time of healing, grief, and community connection. The event features guest speakers, a candlelight vigil, and beaded necklaces that represent participants' personal connections to suicide loss and mental health struggles.
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Jennifer Warnick, chair of Out of the Darkness, said the walk was inspired by her own personal loss.
"You know, my mom left this world, without knowing that there was resources out there. And this event itself brings together those local resources, all in one place. And one of the most memorable things for me through my own healing is seeing that I'm not alone. There's others just like me and my family, that have lost someone of suicide, that have people that struggle," Warnick said.
The beaded necklaces worn during the walk carry meaning without a single word spoken. Green beads represent those who struggle, teal beads represent those who support someone who struggles, and blue beads represent those who support the cause.
"Without saying a word, you can look around at the different colors of beads hanging from someone's neck and you just know," Warnick said.
For Warnick, the walk is also a deeply personal act of honoring her mother's memory.
"Knowing that my mom's death wasn't in vain. And, yes, she died by suicide, but that's not her story, her story is, how do we be kind to one another? How do we change the way things are and give the resources to those that are left here?" Warnick said.
The walk reflects what Warnick hopes will be a lasting shift in how communities respond to mental health and suicide loss.
"For me, it's rewarding to know that my voice became a community of voices, and together, we can create change," Warnick said.
The walk takes place this Saturday at Brazos Park East. For more details, click HERE.
