Having Thanks for Thanksgiving

Many of us enter into this holiday session with great excitement and happiness, but I don't want us to forget that some of our youth don't have those feelings. Everyday many of our youth are kicked out of their homes and asked not to come back do to their sexuality or gender. Many of us take for granted our family gathering on thanksgiving with thoughts of the impending fights, arguments, ridicules and/or recipe disasters. We sometimes forget many of our youth and young adults wish or yearn for family interaction that we may call a headache. Many of us don't realize during holidays especially Thanksgiving and Christmas that there is an increase of people experiencing symptoms of depression and suicide rates spike during the 2 weeks after Christmas.

United States National Lifeline

1-800-273-TALK(8255)

Georgia Suicide Hotlines

ALBANY 

Area Community Service Board
Serving Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty,
Early, Lee, Miller, Terrell, & Worth Counties

24-Hour Crisis Line(912) 430-4052
1-866-582-7763

AUGUSTA

Community Service Board of East Central
Georgia

24-Hour Crisis Line(706) 560-2943

BRUNSWICK

Coastal Community Service Board
Gateway Center for Human Development

24 hours / 7 days

Crisis Counseling Line(912) 280-1450

Emergency Call Line(912) 254-3380

COLUMBUS

Serving West Central Georgia:
Chattahoochee, Clay, Harris, Macon,
Marion, Muscogee, Quitman,
Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumpter,
Taylor, Talbot, & Webster CountiesCONTACT Chattahoochee Valley

Helpline 211

24 hours / 7 daysDial 2-1-1 or
(706) 327-3999

DEKALB COUNTY
DeKalb Community Service Board

Crisis Access Line

24 hours / 7 days(404) 892-4646

DUBLIN

Serving Central Georgia
Community Mental Health Center of Middle Georgia

24-Hour Crisis Help Line(478) 275-6509

EMANUEL COUNTY

Ogeechee Behavioral Health Services
24-Hour Crisis Line1-800-426-5726

FULTON COUNTY 

Department of Mental Health
Emergency Mental Health Services

24 hours / 7 days(404) 730-1600

(404) 730-1608 TDD

LAFAYETTE

Serving Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade & Walker CountiesLookout Mountain Community Services

24-Hour Emergency Phone1-800-882-1552

MACON

Serving Central Georgia
Central Georgia Community Service Board

24-Hour Crisis Line(478) 751-4484

MARIETTA

Cobb& Douglas Counties Community Services Board

24-Hour Crisis Line(770) 422-0202

MILLEDGEVILLE

Serving Baldwin, Hancock, Jasper,
Putnam, Washington, & Wilkinson, Counties

Oconee Mental Health Center

Crisis Help Line

24 hours / 7 days(478) 445-HELP (4357)

PAULDING COUNTY

Three Rivers Behavioral Health

24-Hour Help Line1-800-493-1932

STATESBORO

Pineland Area Community Service Board

24-Hour Help Line(912) 764-5125

Crisis Counseling Line1-800-PINELAND
1-800-746-3526

THOMASVILLE

Georgia Pines Community Service Board

24-Hour Crisis Line

WAYCROSS

Serving Pierce & Ware Counties

Satilla Community Service Board

24-Hour Help Line1-800-342-8168

I ask that everyone be mindful that many of our youth will not have the opportunity to have a joyful experiences with their biological family. I would like for everyone to understand that family is more that just biology or genetics. I personal thankful that my biological family has always opened their homes for my step & adopted children and member's friends that have been unable to attend their family gatherings.

******* Let us know what your thankful for*******