Sabrina Votava, Founder and Board President of FailSafe for Life
How long have you lived in Spokane?
I grew up north of Spokane in Chattaroy, WA and moved away for college. I returned home in 2010 and never looked back!
What do you like best about Spokane?
I love the people, the proximity to several lakes, rivers, and mountains, and that it is big enough to have great food, art, and music but small enough to still feel connected to the community.
Tell us about the local organization you founded.
FailSafe for Life was founded in 2016 with a mission to end suicide attempts and deaths in Spokane and surrounding communities. I first started in suicide prevention work in 2003 after the loss of two of my brothers to suicide six months apart. Reading and learning about suicide became an important part of my grieving process. Through that experience, I felt compelled to share what I had learned which developed into suicide prevention at the community level. I started FailSafe for Life with a fierce and devoted group of people because I saw a need for more suicide prevention work in our area. It took off faster than any of us could have imagined and 5 years later we are still running strong!
If you are interested in supporting our work, we would love to hear from you! Whether you want to help out by volunteering at an event or are curious about becoming a part of our team, we have several opportunities to get involved. If you don't have the time to volunteer, donations are always appreciated. We accept in-kind items for our annual auction as well as financial donations to fund trainings and other activities.
How can we as a community can support Failsafe for Life?
We welcome each and every one of you to join us at one of our upcoming trainings and spread the word about what you learn!
Where are you taking out of town guests?
I love to take visitors to Riverfront Park and to local conservation areas. My favorite is Haynes on the Little Spokane river. I also like to take them to Pinot's Palette or The Candle Bar Co.