SD suicide prevention group grows

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• Paradise Found website

A suicide awareness and prevention nonprofit founded in South Dakota is attempting to spread its reach across the nation.

Lost and Found Suicide Prevention was founded by D.J. Smith, who had a goal of building on the objectives of established suicide prevention groups. He started a Facebook group that got positive attention. Seeing the potential of the group, he joined with Erik Muckey and submitted it to FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) in South Dakota. It won a first-place prize at the state level and was presented at the national level.

Recently, the group became a registered nonprofit. The national organization consists of a group of nine college students with chapters at the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and Augustana College.

Besides spreading suicide awareness and prevention efforts, the group also works to raise money to help colleges provide counseling and medication, and to help families who have a family member who has attempted or committed suicide.

Lost and Found is starting a movement called the Paradise Found Tour. John Milton, author of “Paradise Lost,” said, “With hope, farewell fear.” The objective of the tour is to have a chapter set up on a university campus in every state by January 2014.

The Paradise Found Tour can be followed on its blog at http://paradisefoundblog.wordpress.com or on Facebook or Twitter.