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By Lilli Dwyer
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — When Helen Burden lost her father to suicide two years ago, she knew she never wanted another family to lack support the way she did.

“I had to clean up by myself, I had nobody to help me, there was nothing here in Fulton County to help. … I thought to myself, my dad loved people, he never met a stranger. I wanted to get something going to help others, so these families don’t have to go through what I went through,” she said.

Now, she is acting as a fundraiser, seeking donations and volunteers to support the Fulton County County Suicide Task Force.

Founded in 2024, Fulton County Suicide Task Force is a nonprofit providing services for families affected by suicide and education on suicide prevention.

One of the most emotionally and financially difficult aspects for a family to deal with, Burden said, is cleaning up the scene afterward.

“I called a cleanup place in Plymouth, and they wanted $2,000 to come and clean. I didn’t have that, my dad had no insurance,” she recalled.

Burden is currently involved in efforts to get the Fulton County Board of Health to provide post-suicide clean up. Since it requires training, Burden said, she and her team are not able to do it themselves.

“We can hire somebody out, but that requires funds,” she said. “Everything that we can get will help.”

Any donations made to the task force go to services like these. The organization also makes gift baskets for families affected by suicide, and provides support for things they may need, like clothing for a funeral or food in the aftermath of their loss.

Burden works with a team of five, but volunteers are needed to help out with the task force’s activities.

Fulton County Suicide Task Force is partnered with 4C Health, which gives free training in the Question, Persuade, Refer method of suicide prevention.

Burden received her own training certificate in April.

“We want them to know the signs,” she said of providing prevention education. “If you see any signs, come in and talk to us. Give us a call, we’ll be there.”

Anyone interested in receiving QPR training can call the task force.

“All I have to do is get a group of five, and 4C will come out and do the training,” Burden explained.

4C has previously held training sessions with police, fire and EMS services, as well as at the Fulton County Public Library.

In the future, Fulton County Suicide Task Force will also be taking part in the Guns and Hoses fundraiser at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 27, in Fansler Park, 1307 Washington St., Rochester. The police, fire and EMS softball game will raise funds for the task force, as well as Fulton County Faith in the Fight and Joe’s Hope.

Fulton County Suicide Task Force currently has office space in St. John’s Lutheran Church, 404 Jefferson St., Rochester. Burden and her team are there by appointment.

If interested in seeking support, volunteering, donating, or undergoing QPR training, call (574) 201-8009. The task force is also online at facebook.com/p/Fulton-County-IN-Suicide-Task-Force.

4C provides a 24/7 crisis hotline at (800) 552-3106. For the Indiana crisis hotline, call 988.