WHITE PLAINS – In September 2022, in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month, Westchester County Government broke ground on The Healing Garden at Ridge Road Park. The tranquil site was created to build awareness of suicide prevention and create a safe space for reflection for family members and loved ones of those who ended their lives by suicide.
Now, in recognition of the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, County Executive George Latimer held a formal unveiling ceremony to officially welcome the public to the Healing Garden.
He termed the solemn place “the result of a promise we made to people who are grieving the loss of a loved one. We wanted to create a peaceful site for reflection for family members and friends and help address the stigma that is often attached to suicide – a key initiative of Mental Health Awareness Month.”
Latimer’s hope is that “when a survivor of suicide is having a difficult day, they come to this beautiful space and seek comfort and solace in their surroundings. Let this garden help people to ‘heal,’ and rekindle happy memories while they are here.”
The Healing Garden at Ridge Road Park consists of a variety of trees, a pathway and benches in a circular shape. The Garden is situated within a serene setting, and is intended as a gathering place for family, friends and the public to contemplate and reflect on those who have been lost to suicide, and for the education and awareness of suicide prevention.
