Washington, D.C., March 1st, 2021 – In an effort to address the need for mental health and suicide prevention awareness in Puerto Rico, the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPR Chamber) has partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP.) Through this partnership, the NPR Chamber will assist AFSP’s efforts to grow its initiative in Puerto Rico. The first step in creating AFSP’s Puerto Rico Chapter will be to establish a Board of Directors.
The NPR Chamber’s National Director of Small Business Development, Joel Berrocal, had this to say about the partnership with AFSP: “After the events of Hurricane Maria, the earthquakes in late-2019, and an ongoing economic crisis, we realized mental health/suicide prevention awareness needed to be made a priority in Puerto Rico. Through this partnership with AFSP, we’re confident that we can bring attention to an issue that has largely gone unspoken. I very much look forward to working with Denisse and the rest of the AFSP team.”
Denisse Centeno-Lamas, a member of AFSP’s National Board and Chapter Leadership Council is excited about this partnership. “At AFSP we understand that suicide and mental health issues do not discriminate, and so we have taken an uncompromising approach to improving cultural competency and organizational diversity and inclusion practices. In the words of Robert Gebbia, AFSP Chief Executive Officer, ‘we all have a role to play and I invite individuals, communities, organizations, and thought leaders to join us in our efforts to create long-lasting changes in mental health equity and to prevent suicide amongst underrepresented communities.’ This new chapter is just one step towards that goal.”
For more information on upcoming events and initiatives, please visit our website at nprchamber.org. If interested in joining our organization with thousands of members (small businesses, entrepreneurs, and corporations) across Puerto Rico and the United States please visit our membership hub.
About The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce
The NPR Chamber is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization created to support the development of entrepreneurship, innovation, and business expansion throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland by providing a comprehensive resource for incubating business ideas, leveraging new markets, taking advantage of new opportunities, and advocating for policies that help us grow.
About American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Established in 1987, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education, and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death.