Having Thanks for Thanksgiving

Many of us enter into this holiday session with great excitement and happiness, but I don't want us to forget that some of our youth don't have those feelings. Everyday many of our youth are kicked out of their homes and asked not to come back do to their sexuality or gender. Many of us take for granted our family gathering on thanksgiving with thoughts of the impending fights, arguments, ridicules and/or recipe disasters. We sometimes forget many of our youth and young adults wish or yearn for family interaction that we may call a headache. Many of us don't realize during holidays especially Thanksgiving and Christmas that there is an increase of people experiencing symptoms of depression and suicide rates spike during the 2 weeks after Christmas.

United States National Lifeline

1-800-273-TALK(8255)

Georgia Suicide Hotlines

ALBANY Area Community Service Board Serving Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, Early, Lee, Miller, Terrell, & Worth Counties 24-Hour Crisis Line(912) 430-4052 1-866-582-7763

AUGUSTA Community Service Board of East Central Georgia 24-Hour Crisis Line(706) 560-2943

BRUNSWICK Coastal Community Service Board Gateway Center for Human Development 24 hours / 7 days Crisis Counseling Line(912) 280-1450 Emergency Call Line(912) 254-3380

COLUMBUS Serving West Central Georgia: Chattahoochee, Clay, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumpter, Taylor, Talbot, & Webster CountiesCONTACT Chattahoochee Valley Helpline 211 24 hours / 7 daysDial 2-1-1 or (706) 327-3999

DEKALB COUNTY DeKalb Community Service Board Crisis Access Line 24 hours / 7 days(404) 892-4646

DUBLIN Serving Central Georgia Community Mental Health Center of Middle Georgia 24-Hour Crisis Help Line(478) 275-6509

EMANUEL COUNTY Ogeechee Behavioral Health Services 24-Hour Crisis Line1-800-426-5726

FULTON COUNTY Department of Mental Health Emergency Mental Health Services

24 hours / 7 days(404) 730-1600 (404) 730-1608 TDD

LAFAYETTE Serving Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade & Walker CountiesLookout Mountain Community Services 24-Hour Emergency Phone1-800-882-1552

MACON Serving Central Georgia Central Georgia Community Service Board 24-Hour Crisis Line(478) 751-4484

MARIETTA Cobb& Douglas Counties Community Services Board 24-Hour Crisis Line(770) 422-0202

MILLEDGEVILLE Serving Baldwin, Hancock, Jasper, Putnam, Washington, & Wilkinson, Counties Oconee Mental Health Center Crisis Help Line 24 hours / 7 days(478) 445-HELP (4357)

PAULDING COUNTY Three Rivers Behavioral Health 24-Hour Help Line1-800-493-1932

STATESBORO Pineland Area Community Service Board 24-Hour Help Line(912) 764-5125 Crisis Counseling Line1-800-PINELAND 1-800-746-3526

THOMASVILLE Georgia Pines Community Service Board 24-Hour Crisis Line

WAYCROSS Serving Pierce & Ware Counties Satilla Community Service Board 24-Hour Help Line1-800-342-8168

I ask that everyone be mindful that many of our youth will not have the opportunity to have a joyful experiences with their biological family. I would like for everyone to understand that family is more that just biology or genetics. I personal thankful that my biological family has always opened their homes for my step & adopted children and member's friends that have been unable to attend their family gatherings.

******* Let us know what your thankful for*******