National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Proclamation  (NSPAMP) Project

In 2017, Ward 3 Alderman, Joel Frieders, began a movement to start a nationwide conversation about suicide prevention. With the support of Mayor Gary Golinski and the Yorkville City Council, along with a personal goal to understand, educate, intervene, and reduce the occurrence of suicide by facilitating open discussions, Alderman Frieders decided to put his plan into motion and reach as many lives as possible.

From humble beginnings, the National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Proclamation (NSPAMP) Project was created.

The NSPAMP was first read in Yorkville, Illinois on August 24th, 2017, by Mayor Golinski. This proclamation established the month of September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in the United City of Yorkville. The goal of the proclamation was to promote awareness of the suicide prevention resources available within the community, and to encourage others to simply be available to those around them by learning how to discuss suicide without increasing the risk of harm. By removing the stigma that surrounds those conversations, opportunities are created to reduce and prevent these traumatic occurrences. Soon after the proclamation was adopted in Yorkville, two dozen other cities in Illinois signed on, including two counties, two cities outside of Illinois, and the State of Illinois adopted it as a House Resolution.

In 2018, the proclamation reached an amazing 234 cities and 20 counties, in 40 different states all adopting the NSPAMP by reading the proclamation publicly and discussing suicide from an official capacity. The potential impact for the 2018 NSPAMP Project totaled 28,137,912 United States citizens.

The United City of Yorkville is currently honoring Alderman Frieders’ NSPAMP Project with an exhibit on display in the City Council Chambers. Included in the display are 8 proclamations from 2017, as well as the 2018 proclamations from 48 cities and 4 counties, and a pushpin map denoting all 234 cities and 20 counties in 40 states that elected to participate in 2018.

The exhibit can be viewed Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm in the Council Chambers (800 Game Farm Rd, Yorkville).