 Friday, September 5, 2025
988 Day is Monday: Compassion Help.
Anytime Anywhere.
 988 Day is Sept. 8 and is for showing up — and caring out loud. In Louisville, Seven Counties Services is one of the original members of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a national hotline that provides individual support for issues related to mental health, suicide, and substance use, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Suicide is a public health issue and it’s the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S.
According to Seven Counties Services, over the last year, the local 988 call center handled 12,771 calls with approximately 9,000 originating from the Louisville Metro area. The 988 hotline is available to anyone via phone call, text, chat and video phone options.
“The 988 hotline guarantees confidentiality and caller anonymity, except in situations of imminent risk where an individual is in immediate danger of harming themselves,” said Geneva Robinson, director of the Crisis and Information Center with Seven Counties Services. “More than 160 individuals in imminent risk situations have been helped over the past year, demonstrating 988’s capacity to de-escalate situations in which people are in crisis.”
The center’s mental health professionals also follow up with clients, reaching out to more than 6,000 outgoing calls to make sure individuals remain safe.
On 988 Day, help spread the word that help is just three numbers away.
If you or someone you know needs help, please visit our Suicide Prevention webpage for more information and resources.
September is National Preparedness Month
 September marks National Preparedness Month, an annual campaign reminding everyone that preparing for emergencies and disasters can help ensure the safety of themselves, their families, and their communities. We can all take measures to prepare for emergencies and disasters in advance:
Make a plan
- Whether it’s at home or work, develop an emergency plan involving each person so you’ll know how and where to meet, how to contact each other and what to do in different situations, and include instructions on how to safely turn off electricity, gas and water.
Stock up on emergency items
- Gather enough essentials for at least 72 hours and include items such as necessary medicines, water, nonperishable food, a manual can opener, a flashlight, first aid items, spare clothing, phone chargers, a battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
Make a kit now — before an emergency
- Store stock-piled emergency supplies in one location, preferably in air-tight storage. Evacuations may happen at a moment’s notice, so it’s important to have all items prepared. Make sure each member of the household or work location knows where the emergency preparedness kit will be stored.
Take your emergency planning on the go
- Whether short- or long-distance traveling, it’s always a good idea to make a similar preparedness kit to store in a vehicle. Include items like jumper cables, flashlights, extra batteries, first aid items, necessary medicines, nonperishable food, water, a battery-operated radio, cell phone chargers, an ice scraper, spare clothing, flares and blankets.
Stay informed
- Residents can stay informed of emergency situations in their area by signing up for LENSAlert, the Louisville Emergency Notification System. Residents can also create a safety profile through Smart911 to make first responders aware of important information that can help Police, Fire and EMS respond quickly in an emergency.
The Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness Emergency Preparedness website has a digital library on a variety of topics including an emergency supply checklist, knowing the difference between alerts and warnings, how to prepare for disasters when you have pets and more. Information on each topic is available in seven languages.
Take steps to protect children from food poisoning
 Did you know children under 5 are more likely to get sick from food poisoning? Their immune systems are still developing, which means their body’s ability to fight germs isn’t as strong. You can prevent food poisoning and help protect kids by following simple steps when making food:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods like fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Use a food thermometer to make sure food is cooked to a safe internal temperature.
- Refrigerate or freeze meat and other perishable foods quickly.
Find safe cooking temperatures for meat, poultry, and eggs, plus more tips for preparing food safely. For additional food safety information, visit our website.
Rally 4 Recovery shines a light on healing
You're invited to participate in Rally 4 Recovery from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 at Central Park, 1340 S 4th St.
This free, family-oriented event is organized by People Advocating Recovery (PAR) and Young People in Recovery (YPR) to celebrate hope, healing, and community in the recovery movement.
The event will also feature music, food, community resources, and plenty of activities for families.
For general admission, please register at the Rally 4 Recovery website.
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