Men in their 50s across Thomas County face growing risks of loneliness and suicide. A new initiative is working to change that.
Hearts for Families reports men in their 50s working in healthcare and maintenance in Thomas County are most at-risk for loneliness and suicide. Over 300 neighbors struggling with mental health are encouraged to sign a pledge committing to seeking help and showing support. The nonprofit partnered with Covenant Christian Center to launch South Georgias first Mens Connection Group, plus workshops on gun safety and The Forge wellness series.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Men in their 50s working in fields like healthcare and maintenance in Thomas County are among the most at risk for loneliness and suicide. That’s according to Nonprofit Hearts for Families.
I’m taking you inside a new pilot program that mixes mental health and faith to give men in Thomasville a place to be real, be heard, and be healed.
Across the U.S., loneliness has gotten so bad that the U.S. Surgeon General is calling it an epidemic. And for men, it’s costing lives.
The CDC says men die by suicide nearly four times more often than women.
In Thomas County alone, between 2018 and 2023, the Department of Public Health reports about 38 suicides per 100,000 people. Most involved a firearm.
“When you hear about the stuff that even children are going through where their best friends are AI and those kinds of things, staggering, staggering statistics that have just been released on that. So if the kids are going through that, imagine what the adults are going through,” says Sue Laney, CEO of Hearts for Families.
Her nonprofit launched a program called “Break the Stigma” targeting men most vulnerable to isolation in our community.
“Some men are raised that they don’t cry. They don’t have emotions or shouldn’t have emotions. That they’re supposed to be tough, you know, have tough skin,” says Ucher Dent, a facilitator. He tells me the nonprofit works directly with churches across South Georgia including Colquitt and Grady counties, where the state reports suicide deaths are also rising.
In Colquitt County, for example, about 74% of suicides between 2018 and 2022 involved a firearm,
Ucher tells me the new Men’s Connection Group will include powerful conversations, a movie presentation, and even gun safety workshops with local law enforcement.
They’re also pushing for more than 300 neighbors to sign a pledge by the end of September to show their commitment to seeking help.
“It’s basically a pledge of individual signing stating that they will initiate conversations or engage in conversations about suicide or the prevention of suicide. And it also asks individuals that perhaps maybe have guns or prescription drugs in their homes to put them away in a safe place,” says Dent.
If you want to connect and be heard, you can join them at Covenant Christian Center for their next meeting.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.