My name is Jeremy Upton. I have been associated with the Arkansas Crisis Center since 2007, and to say the least it has been an adventure. In that 10 year time period I have had the honor to serve in virtually every position at the ACC from board member, to secretary, to treasurer, to vice president, and most recently as president. The ACC, like all great organizations, has had more than its share of successes and setbacks, and I have had the opportunity to experience them all from just about every conceivable angle. I am happy to report that, through it all, we have continued to move forward with passion, integrity and our community’s best interests at heart at all times.
There are few, if any, persons that have not been affected in some way by the loss of someone that they know dying by suicide. I have certainly not been immune, as I have had acquaintances, very close friends and family members that were lost to suicide; this is the reason that I got involved with the ACC – to draw the line in the sand and make a difference. And, goodness have we made a difference! For the past 33 years the ACC has been a beacon of light in the darkness for those in crisis. Whether it’s through the thousands of calls we have taken over the years or through the work we have done to educate the people in our community about crisis and suicide, communication is the first step in making the light brighter and reducing the stigma and taboo surrounding crisis and suicide. We want people to know, its okay to talk about what they are going though. They are not alone. There is somebody that cares, and we are here for them.
I believe that through our mission to restore Hope, empower People, and save lives through suicide intervention, we truly can move towards our vision of Zero Suicides in Arkansas by 2025. Hopefully reading this has sparked a desire inside of you to help with our mission, because you have a role and there are so many ways for you get involved. Perhaps one of the easiest is to donate funding. You can volunteer to answer calls from those in crisis. You can volunteer by helping to plan and work an event. You can volunteer for our advisory board. You can serve on one of our committees, or you can become a voting member on our board of directors. Join us; the future is bright at the Arkansas Crisis Center!
The adventure continues….
Respectfully,
Jeremy K. Upton
2017 President and chair of the Arkansas Crisis Center Board of Directors