Here’s Why Bristol Community College Will Be Covered in Backpacks

Bristol Community College is preparing for quite a moving display on Monday, Sept. 26.

As part of suicide prevention month, the college has invited the Send Silence Packing program to its Fall River campus.

Hundreds of backpacks will be laid across the campus in Fall River, each representing a student who died by suicide.

As you can imagine, the display is stirring.

Jill Apicerno, a mental health counselor at BCC, helped coordinate the effort.

"The tone of the event is one that is pretty somber," she said. "That's what we expect. That's what we're prepared for."

The backpacks are brought to high school and college campuses all around the country as a part of Send Silence Packing. The suicide prevention and educational event is designed to spark conversations about mental health and connect people who might need support to resources that can help them.

Some of the backpacks have pictures and notes pinned to them. They tell the story of the person who once wore that backpack to school each day. The photos and stories have been shared by the devastated loved ones left behind after the suicide.

"It's a pretty powerful message, pretty impactful," Apicerno said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, a new three-digit number has been launched in Massachusetts and around America.  Dialing 9-8-8 will connect you with a lifeline specialist who can help. The hotline launched this past summer nationwide.

Monday's display will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.