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'A Wave of Hope' debut display takes place May 31; project takes on county's high suicide rate
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Last year, Sharon Dawson founded an organization she called “A Wave of Hope.”
It is peopled by individuals who, she says, “come forward to tell their stories about where they were, what they are now and what they would say to somebody who might be where they were.”
Where they were was on the verge of ending their lives. And, in telling their stories, Dawson has found, they come out of the darkness to bring hope to other distressed individuals by letting them know that they are not alone.
Dawson, a professional photographer with a studio in Middletown, will display photographic portraits of 22 such individuals and the stories behind the faces on the lawn in front of the new Middletown Public Library, 21256 Washington St., on Saturday, May 31, from 1 to 6 p.m.
The display will serve as the public debut of A Wave of Hope, Dawson's organization, for which she is awaiting 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
She said she founded the group after hearing of Lake County's high suicide rate and deciding that something had to be done to bring attention to the problem.
Several local organizations and individuals have contributed cash and in-kind donations to A Wave of Hope, including the Konocti Lioness Club; Six Sigma Ranch and Winery; Imagine, Digital; Classic and Beyond; and Studio 175.
Dawson’s creation is a traveling exhibit that is presently scheduled to go on display at 10 additional sites in Lake County.
To ensure that her mission receives the widest scope of dissemination, Dawson says posters will be at bus stops, bars, on the walls of public places – “everywhere that people can get to.”
Open communication, Dawson contends, is critical to individuals who have reached a point in their lives where they have contemplated suicide.
Central to her project is creating the understanding that these individuals cannot be typecast.
“There is no common thread between these people,” she says. “No economics, no age.”
Virtually everyone, Dawson adds, experiences a period when they think they are alone in their misery.
“If we all knew that we weren’t the only person who went through a hard time it would be better,” Dawson says. “But the stigma is most people don’t want to talk about it to the rest of the world.”
Visit Dawson's Web site at www.awaveofhope.com .
Email John Lindblom at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .