Dear fellow survivors,
On July 5th, it will be three years since my beloved cousin Wes took his own life.
As I work on my grief journey and grow stronger, I reflect on how others in our suicide loss survivor community uplifted me, offered encouragement, and helped me make it through the day, one heartbeat at a time. The biggest gift that I was given was hope.
Today, in honor of Wes, and the nearly 20,000 members of the Alliance of Hope forum, I want to pass that hope forward. I invite you to join me. Between today and June 20th, I will match all donations to the Alliance of Hope, dollar-for-dollar — up to $20,000.
My grief has softened with time, but it is still with me. I have learned I will carry it with me always, along with my love for Wes.
Wes was 42 years old, a father of six. Handsome and talented, he would do anything for you. He was a bright and beautiful spirit. We all miss him terribly. As the oldest of 13 first cousins, I have great memories of us growing up together, having our own kids, and watching them grow up together as well.
In the first few days after he died, I didn’t know where to turn. I was in a fog. I tried to find resources for my aunt and other family members. I found a local agency that had support group meetings (Friends for Survival), but their next meeting was several days away. Their executive director, Marilyn Koenig, suggested I visit the Alliance of Hope. That was the lifeline I needed.
Now, three years later, it’s time for me to continue my journey of healing and help others.
I am honored to volunteer my skills working with Alliance of Hope as their operations manager. And because I have seen firsthand how important their work is I am investing in the future of survivor services with a $20,000 Match Gift Challenge in honor of my cousin, Wesley Dalton Lincoln.
I know it would make Wes happy to know that I am giving back to others in his memory.
Please join me today in supporting the Alliance of Hope – a caring and compassionate organization that has helped me, and countless others, cope with and heal from traumatic and life-altering loss. Together we can move forward with hope, and help new survivors know they are not alone. Thank you for your support. 
