Daly City proclaims September as Suicide Prevention Month; resident leader urges community action

Daly City — The Daly City Council on Sept. 9 proclaimed September 2024 as Suicide Prevention Month and heard personal testimony from a local mental-health advocate who described peer-to-peer programs and community outreach.

Mayor Jocelyn C. Manalo read the proclamation noting the San Mateo County and statewide themes and directing residents to resources including the county’s Star Vista hotline and the national 988 crisis line. The proclamation highlights local and regional efforts—including free in-person and virtual events, advocacy days and outreach listed at smchealth.org/spm.

Alan Bustos, introduced as a member of the Filipino Mental Health Initiative and the San Mateo County Suicide Prevention Committee, described his lived experience of suicidal ideation and recovery and outlined community programming supported by a 2024 Suicide Prevention Month mini‑grant. He said the recent hip‑hop beat‑making workshop engaged youth and noted county survey data that "45% of respondents in San Mateo County were experiencing difficulty with loneliness and isolation." Bustos urged residents to save crisis numbers (988 and Star Vista at (650) 579-0350), learn the signs of suicide, and to participate in local prevention events.

Councilmembers thanked Bustos for his leadership and personal testimony, stressed the importance of normalizing emotional openness, and noted Daly City’s earlier action declaring loneliness a public-health concern. Comments from the vice mayor and others emphasized that showing emotion is a sign of strength and encouraged community supports and faith-based and nonprofit partners to continue outreach.

The proclamation and testimony underscore the city’s support for county and community suicide-prevention programming and point residents to local resources and upcoming events during the month.