Library to host Two Brothers’ Light
By Connor Fogel
In December 2015, good friends Casey Harrigan and Natalie Davis both lost their brothers to suicide.
Together, they joined Stand Against Suicide, a local Jordan-Elbridge organization with support group for those affected by suicide. But after it had to shut down, Harrigan, Davis and the other members were left without the support in the community.
“That’s when Natalie and I decided to move forward with having our own organization,” Harrigan said. “We didn’t want to leave those people hanging.”
The two friends started Two Brothers’ Light Inc. in fall 2016 to honor their brothers.
The organization began by hosting free support groups and now has a website with suicide prevention resources, a blog and a calendar of the groups events.
The organization also works with a licensed mental health counselor.
According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and over 44,000 Americans die by suicide every year.
Although the Two Brothers’ Light founders were both affected by suicide, they accept anyone grieving from the loss of someone or battling a mental illness.
“We’re not just solely a suicide prevention group,” Harrigan said. “We’re there for people affected by any mental illness or even addiction. A lot of times, those two go hand in hand.”
The support group currently meets in Maxwell Memorial Library once a week. In July, the groups will meet every Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The library works with the Camillus Community Coalition on Substance Abuse, which connected them to Two Brothers’ Light.
“I’m just really pleased that we can offer our building and facilities for them to be meeting and to help them promote it,” Katy Benson, director of Maxwell Memorial Library, said. “We’ve been able to get a small collection of mainly books having to do with addiction and substance abuse for the people who struggle with it as well as their families.”
On Sept. 23, the organization will host the Two Brothers’ Light First Annual Golf Tournament at Milestone Golf Course in Elbridge. The tournament will include games, prizes and raffles throughout the day to raise awareness and support of the organization.
“Down the road when we have more funds, one of the things that we would like to do,” Harrigan said. “Is basically pay for the counseling for people who may not be able to pay for it with the licensed mental health counselor.”
