A Light in Dark Places,

About the event

A Light in Dark Places is a tax-deductible non-profit that uses the arts to bring understanding, resources and hope to those struggling with suicidal ideation and/or the loss of a loved one. 

Since we began in 2016, our main endeavor has been a series of short-plays produced at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre - Los Angeles during the Weekends surrounding National Suicide Prevention Week. Each of our three productions has continued to grow exponentially both in quality and reach. 

Our desire to continue finding ways of reaching more people and involving more artists has lead us to begin production on a night of music in Downtown LA (either 3/23 or 3/30). The night will involve 10 - 15 different musical guests performing songs that connect us deeper to each other and celebrate life. The night will be uplifting, hopeful and fun! The space has two reception rooms where we will set up a bar, gallery and most importantly, a booth with important information and resources provided by the AFSP. 

Why should you sponsor?

Suicide affects many lives. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there is an average of 129 suicides per day. Every death by suicide affects an average of one-hundred people, and there are statistically twenty-five attempts for each completed suicide. 

Despite these high numbers, there continues to be stigma and misunderstanding surrounding the topic. We believe that a piece of the solution is to shift how we view suicide and other mental health conditions as a culture. Our mission is to encourage healthy discussion, tear down stigma, and create a community where reaching out is encouraged, not shamed. 

We are currently looking for sponsors to help us with this event. Would World Empanadas be interested in partnering with us? I would love to involve local business as we spread understanding, resources and hope to those of us in need. 

Your generosity would enable us to rent out the space, purchase event insurance, hire a sound operator, print promotional materials, and possibly provide the artists with a stipend for gas/parking. 

KELLY OMALLEY

Hi, I'm Kelly O'Malley. I grew up in Frisco, Texas with my three younger sisters. I loved living there – when I was a kid, I’d kiss the ground every time we returned home from a family vacation. I thought I’d never leave. But about five years ago, I surprised myself and made the move to LA. 

I came here to study acting, and in part, I came here to run away from the trauma and loneliness that comes with being a suicide loss survivor. My dad had taken his life almost two years before, and I felt like my grief was taking me with him. Texas was too painful, too full of memories and of people who knew. I didn’t want to be the girl whose dad died by suicide anymore. I wanted to be free. 

What I didn’t understand then is that the freedom I was looking for can only happen by dealing with your grief. Running from it only makes it worse. 

Acting taught me this. In order to freely tell someone else’s story, I had to face those shattered pieces of me that I had locked away out of fear and shame. It wasn’t easy, but I began to breathe and then I learned to talk about my loss and to listen. I began to heal. 

And as I healed, I found that I wanted to use my experience to help others. A lot of my desire to shut down came from the uncomfortable reactions when revealing my loss to people. There’s stigma around suicide, and I wanted to change that. I wanted to create a space where people could talk openly, learn about resources, and be reminded that no one is alone, that there is always hope. I thought the communal aspect of theater made it a great place to start, and so in 2016, I started A Light in Dark Places.

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