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Engagement
Be a voice for hope in your community.
Each year on April 16, thousands come together around the world to honor the lives we’ve lost, celebrate the strength of those still fighting, and raise awareness for mental health through World Semicolon Day.
We’re building a dedicated team of outreach volunteers to help us expand the impact of this powerful movement — and we need your voice.
As a World Semicolon Day Outreach Team Member, you’ll play a vital role in helping us reach communities across the globe. Your responsibilities will include:
Media Outreach
Use our pre-written outreach templates to contact local media (newspapers, radio stations, blogs, TV) and encourage them to feature World Semicolon Day in their coverage.
Tattoo Shop Outreach
Reach out to local tattoo shops and invite them to join the Project Semicolon Tattoo Shop Network, offering free or discounted semicolon tattoos on April 16. These shops will be featured in our searchable directory to help people find participating artists near them.
We’ll provide you with everything you need: templates, talking points, outreach tips, and support along the way. No experience necessary — just a passion for mental health awareness and a willingness to connect with others.
Every email you send, every shop you contact, helps more people hear the message that their story isn’t over. Together, we’ll make World Semicolon Day more visible, more accessible, and more powerful than ever before.
Every year, on the anniversary of Project Semicolon officially becoming a nonprofit organization, the world comes together to observe World Semicolon Day. This day is more than just a date on the calendar—it’s a heartfelt reminder that we are never alone in our struggles. It’s a celebration of resilience, a day of remembrance, and an opportunity to unite as a community to advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
The semicolon, a simple punctuation mark, represents something profound: the choice to continue your story when it could have ended. For millions of people, this symbol has become a beacon of hope, a personal declaration of strength, and a reminder that our journeys are worth continuing. World Semicolon Day is a chance to amplify this message, spreading hope to those who need it most.
The day is marked by storytelling, sharing semicolon tattoos, honoring the memories of those we’ve lost, and creating spaces for healing and connection. Tattoo shops around the globe partner with us to offer free or discounted semicolon tattoos, giving people a tangible way to show their solidarity with this movement.
Whether through in-person gatherings, virtual events, or social media, World Semicolon Day brings our community together in powerful ways. It’s a day to celebrate how far we’ve come, support one another through life’s challenges, and commit to creating a future where mental health conversations are embraced and no one feels alone.
Join us on World Semicolon Day as we write a chapter of hope, healing, and togetherness in the global story of mental health advocacy. Together, we can make a difference—one story, one tattoo, one conversation at a time.
At Project Semicolon, every story matters. Every life matters. Yet, like any family bound by purpose, we are not immune to loss, pain, or the need to pause and heal. In April 2017, we faced unimaginable heartbreak with the passing of our founder, Amy Bleuel, whose vision sparked a global movement of hope and resilience. Amy was more than our leader; she was our inspiration—a beacon for those struggling in silence.
Tragically, just weeks after losing Amy, our team suffered another devastating loss: one of our own to suicide. Two profound losses in such a short span left us reeling. As we rallied around each other in shared grief, we came to a difficult but necessary decision: to take a break. It was a decision not made lightly but with the understanding that our ability to serve the community depends on our own ability to be present, whole, and focused.
The break allowed us to do something crucial—pause, reflect, and heal. It gave us space to honor Amy’s legacy and assess how we could carry her mission forward in a way that was authentic, sustainable, and impactful. It also reaffirmed the importance of practicing what we advocate: prioritizing mental health and addressing the needs of our team with compassion.
Today, as we look forward, we are filled with renewed energy and purpose. The break has strengthened our resolve to be the lifeline for those who feel isolated, hopeless, or forgotten. It has also solidified our belief in the power of our community. You, our supporters, have stood by us, and we are more determined than ever to honor your trust by continuing our mission to save lives.
We want to thank you for your patience and unwavering support during our hiatus. We know that every day matters in the fight against suicide, and our commitment to creating a world where no one feels alone remains steadfast. Together, we can inspire, educate, and empower others, turning pain into purpose and hope into action.
As we step into this next chapter, we invite you to join us in rebuilding, reinvesting, and reigniting the spirit of Project Semicolon. Amy’s vision lives on through each of us. And now, with hearts mended and a renewed focus, we’re ready to carry the torch and continue writing stories of hope—one semicolon at a time.
At Project Semicolon, we believe that your story matters. Every word, every struggle, every victory — it all carries the power to inspire hope, break stigma, and remind someone else that they are not alone.
Sharing your story can be a deeply healing act. When we speak our truth, we take ownership of it. We begin to make sense of what we’ve lived through. Whether you’re writing for yourself, opening up to a loved one, or sharing publicly, storytelling allows space for reflection, growth, and healing.
Your story might be the one someone else needs to hear. In a world where so many suffer in silence, your courage to speak up could be the spark that gives someone else permission to do the same — or the comfort that helps them hold on one more day.
Mental health struggles thrive in isolation and shame. But when we share, we disrupt that silence. We challenge stigma. We create a culture where it’s okay to not be okay — and where asking for help is seen as strength, not weakness.
You are not alone. When you share your story with us, you join a global community of people who’ve walked through pain and still chose hope. Whether you’re living with mental illness, grieving a loss, or navigating your healing journey, there’s a place for you here.
Your story is still being written. And when you share your journey, you help write a new chapter — not just for yourself, but for the world around you.
Ready to share?
