The following piece was submitted by East Northport resident and founder of Compass of Hope, Jennifer McNaughton in anticipation of the upcoming An Evening of Hope, an event that will bring together Compass of Hope, CN Guidance & Counseling Services and other community partners for an open, supportive conversation focused on mental heath.
Growing up in Northport in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, I experienced more loss than any young person should. So many families were affected, and while there were efforts at the time to provide outreach and support, many of those resources and connections have faded over the years.
In August of 2022, I nearly lost my life. I was hospitalized in critical condition with massive bilateral pulmonary emboli. Surviving that experience felt like a miracle, but as a mother, all I could think about was what would happen to my children, both in high school, if I didn’t make it home. It was the most frightening time of my life.
Loss is always painful… but losing someone to suicide is different. It leaves questions that never fully go away. For most of my life, I felt grateful that I had never personally lost someone I loved to suicide – until I did.
After recovering from the emboli, I met with close friends, families we have known since our children were in elementary school. We were grateful to be together and hopeful, excited that our older boys were about to begin their senior year of high school. We planned a reunion – something we called “circle time” – to continue those conversations and celebrate life together.
That reunion never happened.
In September of 2022, we lost my friend’s son, a beautiful soul. His mother is not only my neighbor but also a close friend. The boys were close, and this boy reminded me so much of my own son, James. Watching a parent endure that kind of loss changed everything for me.
Just one month earlier, I thought I had experienced the worst moment of my life. But nothing compares to watching someone you love lose a child.
At that time, we were still coming out of COVID. Many kids were struggling with isolation, anxiety and pressures that weren’t always visible to the adults around them. We knew young people needed support, but it felt like we weren’t moving fast enough.
So, I pushed to take action. That is what I do.
I worked with the Northport-East Northport School District to help bring in training programs for coaches and school staff so they could better recognize when a student might be struggling and understand how to respond. I am grateful that my friend also helped bring the Long Island Suicide Prevention Coalition into the district to expand those efforts.
But we also need support beyond the schools. We need connection in the community.
That is why I created Compass of Hope. As we await final approval of our 501(c)(3) status, we are excited to begin working alongside other organizations and community partners to strengthen support networks across our local communities.
Compass of Hope is a grassroots effort focused on connection, compassion and making resources easier to find. There are so many caring professionals, organizations, and community members who want to help – we simply need to bring them together and make those connections visible.
This year’s event once again brings together incredible members of our community: CN Guidance & Counseling Services; Northwell Health; community speaker Vinny DiTucci, who shares his experience of the loss of his wife Kari; crisis counselor Eileen Dwyer, who began working with the 988 Lifeline after our son’s friend’s suicide and has since completed her training in crisis counseling; and author and therapist Deborah Winters, who will have a resource table at the event.
We are also seeing support from local Chambers of Commerce, community organizations and elected officials who understand how important this conversation is right now.
Many families in our community are facing challenges right now, from anxiety and depression to isolation, bullying and the lasting effects of COVID on our children’s emotional well-being.
Parents simply want to know:
What do we look for?
How do we help when kids are hurting but not telling us?
How do we create connections before a crisis happens?
Compass of Hope exists to help answer those questions. Together, we can remind people they are not alone.
An Evening of Hope will take place on Tuesday, March 31, from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Congregational Church of Huntington, 30 Washington Drive, in Centerport. The evening is designed to remove stigma, encourage conversation and connect people with local resources. All are welcome.
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