Dear Community,

On Thursday, September 11, Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center hosted our 5th Annual Bringing Light into Darkness event at our Winona Clinic location. This year, we were honored to welcome nearly 500 people who came together to shine a light on mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention.

Every year in Minnesota, hundreds of people die by suicide, and more than a thousand by drug overdose. These aren’t just numbers — they are sisters, brothers, parents, friends, neighbors. Right now, the Minnesota Department of Health estimates:

  • In 2024, about 813 suicides occurred.
  • Over 1,300 overdose deaths in recent years

These tragedies affect us all. They reveal wounds in our mental health systems, our access to treatment, the stigma that isolates those who suffer. But these challenges also carry hope. Because when we talk about loss, we begin to break the silence. When we reach out, we build connection. When we offer help, we offer recovery.

What we can do together:

  • Listen without judgment. Sometimes asking “Are you okay?” means everything.
  • Educate ourselves and others. Know where to find help: crisis hotlines, treatment services, peer support.
  • Advocate for policies that save lives. That includes funding mental health, expanding harm reduction, restricting access to lethal means.
  • Lift up voices of recovery. Let people who have lived and recovered speak — to show what’s possible.

We gathered on September 11th not to sensationalize this topic, but to heal. To reduce stigma. To create community. To remind ourselves that each life matters — and that hope, and recovery are real and available.

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our speakers at our event for sharing their wisdom and personal experiences, to the community partners and resources who brought valuable information, to our generous sponsors, Johnny Holmes Band,  to the food trucks that kept everyone fed, to our incredible staff for their hard work, and to our entire community for showing up and standing together for this important cause.

Events like Bringing Light into Darkness remind us why Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center exists — to raise up conversations about mental health, substance use, and suicide, reduce stigma, and offer hope and healing through the power of connection.

Thank you, Winona and the surrounding communities, for once again proving that when we come together, we can make a difference.

Sincerely,
Erik Sievers
Executive Director
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center