According to Kitsap Health District statistics, more than 30 people in Kitsap County will end their own lives this year.

That’s more than 30 funerals, more than 30 families that will mourn and will forever pore over the past for the signs they missed, more than 30 voids that can never be filled, more than 30 deaths that could have been prevented.

Amid the darkness of depression and despair, when all seems hopeless, you are not alone. You are an important, valued member of the human family. And help is available.

If you are thinking about suicide, don’t do anything to hurt yourself and immediately ask someone for help. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). That’s the number of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. There’s a caring person on the line who wants to help you. You can also call 911 and tell them you feel suicidal, or go to the emergency room of the hospital closest to you.

From the National Institute of Mental Health: If you have a family member or friend who might be suicidal, don’t leave him or her alone. Take seriously any comments about suicide or wishing to die; even if you don’t think your family member or friend will actually attempt suicide, he or she is clearly in distress. Try to get them to seek help from an emergency room, physician or mental health professional.

Anyone who has ever considered suicide, and their family members and friends, should participate in the Out of the Darkness Community Walk 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 19 at Raab Park in Poulsbo.

It’s sponsored by the local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which wants to reduce the annual suicide rate 20 percent by 2025.

The local event is organized by Jackie Briere and Christine Wilson, who have lost loved ones to suicide.

“There’s a stigma that it’s not something to talk about,” Briere said in an earlier interview. “When someone has a problem with depression, people think that they shouldn’t talk about it. A person dies by suicide every 14 minutes in the U.S. It’s mostly because of that stigma.”

She added, “It’s OK to have these feelings; it’s normal. But talk to somebody and get advice. Don’t take that last step. There’s an entire organization to help people out. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention wants to help.”