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The Reader's Digest Foundation to Donate $100,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

The Reader's Digest Foundation to Donate $100,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Published 10-15-08

Submitted by Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The

PLEASANTVILLE, NY. - Oct.15, 2008 - The Reader's Digest Foundation announced today that it will donate $100,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The nonprofit organization based in New York City is the leading national organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide.

Inspiration for this grant, which is part of the Foundation's Make it Matter program, came from the story of Virginia Cervasio, whose son Angelo died by suicide at the age of 24. Virginia was shattered by his death, which seemed to come out of nowhere. Tortured by guilt for missing signs of his depression, Virginia eventually reconnected with life by forming C.A.R.E.S. (Community Awareness in Recognizing and Educating on Suicide), determined to spare other mothers and children the fate that she and Angelo had suffered. Within two years of the first meeting of C.A.R.E.S., Virginia had raised $25,000 for her nonprofit. Today, C.A.R.E.S. operates a suicide"“prevention resource center in Cape Coral, Florida and Virginia has enrolled in college to become a victim advocate.

"The tragedy of suicide is not something we talk about very much, even though someone takes their own life in the United States every 16 minutes," said Susan Fraysse Russ, Executive Director, The Reader's Digest Foundation. "We are grateful to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for helping all of us confront the reality of suicide and working to prevent it. We hope our support of AFSP will encourage greater discussion of the issue and increased awareness of what depression and mood disorders look like "“ and how they can be treated."

"We are extremely grateful to The Reader's Digest Foundation for this generous donation and to Virginia Cervasio for sharing her very personal story and then suggesting AFSP as the grant recipient," said Robert Gebbia, Executive Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "Education on this national health problem is vital to saving lives. Therefore, we plan to use these funds to train and educate volunteers from across the country on launching effective suicide prevention programs in their communities."

Reader's Digest magazine is featuring the story of Virginia Cervasio in its "Make it Matter" column in the November issue, which hits newsstands on October 21. Previous "Make it Matter" stories, including many that never appeared in the magazine, can be seen at http://www.readersdigest.com.

About The Reader's Digest Foundation:
The Reader’s Digest Foundation, started in 1938, is dedicated to creating opportunities and promoting efforts that encourage individuals to make a positive difference in their communities, and to supporting programs designed to help young people learn, grow and enrich their lives. RDF makes grants to nonprofit organizations to support the good works of individuals in their communities and to nonprofit partners focused on youth development and education. The Foundation also partners with nonprofits to create workplace opportunities for Reader's Digest Association employees to volunteer their time and share their expertise.

About the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide. For more information please visit www.afsp.org.

Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The logo

Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The

Readers Digest Association, Inc./Reader's Digest Foundation, The

The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. is a global publisher and direct marketer of books, magazines and home entertainment products that inform, entertain and inspire people of all ages and cultures around the world. The company publishes 90 magazines, including its flagship magazine - Reader’s Digest, the world’s biggest-selling magazine. It is published in 51 editions and 21 languages. The Reader’s Digest Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities and promoting efforts that encourage individuals to make a positive difference in their communities, and to supporting programs designed to help young people learn, grow and enrich their lives.

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