(Joplin, MO) – Flashing grins and peace signs, more than a dozen Ozark Center employees took to the road on September 12 on the Caravan of Hope, a groovy 1970s-style van that made multiple stops in the Joplin area educating the masses about suicide prevention while spreading individual messages of peace, love, and hope.
The caravan made five stops on Friday: Joplin Greenhouse & The Coffee Shop, Carl Junction High School, Webb City High School, Missouri Southern State University, and Freeman Hospital West.
At each stop, taking center stage, sat a large “canvas of hope.” Members of Ozark Center’s Crisis Services encouraged residents and students alike to take a few moments to jot down their thoughts. Most didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t long before the blank canvas, propped atop an easel, was filled with messages of inspiration and hope in a variety of attention-grabbing colors. Some of those statements read:
- “There is always hope!”
- “You matter.”
- “Hold on if you’re feeling a little unsteady. There is HOPE for a better tomorrow.”
- “Hope is free. Have some of mine.”
- “Life is tough – but you are tougher.”
The whole idea behind the 2025 Caravan of Hope is to take their messages of love and hope directly to the people.
“We lose an American every 11 minutes to suicide, which is more than car crashes and homicides,” said Debbie Fitzgerald, director of Crisis Services at Ozark Center. “What many people don’t realize is that suicide – even though it is a leading cause of death – is preventable.”
One huge resource available at all hours of both the day and night is the National Suicide Hotline 988, which was established in 2022.
“Any American can take out his or her cell phone and dial 988 and reach a crisis specialist 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Fitzgerald said.
Ozark Center’s Crisis Servies, located at 305 Virginia Avenue in Joplin, serves as one of those 200-plus call centers.
“The Ozark Center Crisis team is very happy to help people when they need it,” she said. “They are very compassionate.”
After Friday’s day-long Caravan of Hope, the message-laden canvases will be placed on a wall inside Crisis Services visible for everyone to see and read.
“They can read the inspirational messages of hope written by community members for community members,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s hope here.”
Remember, if you or a loved one are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm now, dial or text 988 for immediate help and support.
About Freeman Health System:
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2024, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers and their experiences. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System one of the Best Hospitals for 2022. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 90 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services, women’s services, and many others for all of the Four State Area. Freeman is also involved in numerous community-based activities and sponsored events and celebrations. Additionally, in the Joplin/Pittsburg areas, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius.
About Ozark Center:
An integral component of Freeman Health System based in Joplin, Mo., Ozark Center provides comprehensive behavioral health services to children, adults and families in an area that includes more than 450,000 residents from Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Ozark Center continually looks for innovative ways to address the mental health needs of the community and promote awareness of mental illness in an effort to eliminate the discrimination associated with it. For more information, visit ozarkcenter.com or call 417.347.7600.
Reference:
Ozark Center
Freeman Health System
417.347.7600
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