[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 157 (Friday, September 11, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E827-E828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING JOANI MOLLER AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 11, 2020

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, September is National Suicide Prevention 
month. In light of this, I rise to ask the House of Representatives to 
join me in recognizing Joani Moller, the Area Director for the Iowa 
Chapter of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, as our Iowan of 
the Week.
  In Iowa, one person dies by suicide every 18 hours. It is the second 
leading cause of death amongst people ages 15-34 and is the ninth 
leading cause of death in the state overall. Iowa finds itself in a 
particularly concerning situation as farmers remain at highest risk of 
death by suicide. And as we continue to see the effects of isolation 
during the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health across the board, suicide 
rates are an immediate concern.
  Thankfully, we have people like Joani Moller dedicated to the mission 
of eliminating suicides in Iowa. After 20 years of non-profit work, 
Joani became Area Director of the American Foundation of Suicide 
Prevention (AFSP) Iowa Chapter just over a year ago. In

[[Page E828]]

the short time since, she has managed to build their board, collaborate 
with new community organizations to support their suicide awareness and 
fundraising events, and build coalitions with other suicide prevention 
organizations in Polk County. She is inspired by her volunteers' 
dedication to the mission of AFSP and the stories they share with her. 
``When I started for AFSP, it was shocking to me how many people's 
lives have been touched by suicide,'' said Joani. At the age of 18, she 
too experienced the loss of her boyfriend when he took his life.
  American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in Iowa is a grassroots 
organization that focuses on eliminating death by suicide through 
programming, events, and providing vital resources to Iowans in need.
  Their programs educate people from different backgrounds about the 
risk factors and warning signs of suicide. They also work hard to raise 
much-needed funds for research and programs that provide support to 
people who have lost individuals to suicide.
  During the COVID-19 pandemic, AFSP's Iowa Chapters have successfully 
transitioned their in-person programming to virtual offerings, 
providing over 500 presentations in just four months. They have also 
created an additional program: Enhancing Mental Health during COVID-19.
  Preventing suicides is no small task. Joani believes that continuing 
to have conversations is a critical part of suicide prevention as it 
destigmatizes the topic and makes people more comfortable confronting 
it. As new obstacles continue to present themselves during this 
pandemic, we are fortunate and grateful to have people like her running 
vital organizations in Iowa. While Joani humbly credits the success of 
AFSP to her volunteers, we know it would not be the organization that 
it is today without her dedication towards its success and the 
elimination of suicide in the state of Iowa.
  It is my honor to recognize Joani Moller as our Iowan of the Week. I 
will continue to work in Congress to ensure everyone has access to 
accessible and affordable health and mental health care so that Joani's 
goal of zero suicides becomes a reality.

                          ____________________