What if you could change a life, or even save one, just by answering the phone? Would You?
Your Interior Crisis Line Network (ICLN) is hoping you’ll say yes.
Every 20 minutes someone calls the ICLN and is supported by trained staff and volunteers. The number of calls are steadily increasing.
Calls range from requests for resources to short-term emotional support to suicide prevention and intervention.
Regardless of the issue, by the end of the call the person receives support that truly makes a difference in their lives. In fact, the ICLN has been so responsive that calls have increased almost 20 per cent since last year.
“On one hand this is great news” says Asha Croggon, ICLN program manager, “because it means that people know they can call for support. On the other hand it means that we are in need of volunteers now more than ever to ensure we have enough trained crisis line workers to answer this increased need.”
The ICLN is not just making a difference for those who call in, but also for the staff and volunteers who answer the calls. “The training not only prepared me to support people on the lines, but it’s made a big difference in my own life too. I’m better at handling my own stress, it’s helped in my job search and in supporting my friends and family,” shares one volunteer.
You are welcome to reach out to Janet Roth, Crisis Line coordinator, at crisisline@kcr.ca to find out more about how you can make a difference as a volunteer.
Or call the Interior Crisis Line Network if you are in need of support at 1-888-353-CARE (2273).
Create your own volunteer profile and locate other ways to get involved through www.kcr.ca, under ‘volunteer opportunities search Central Okanagan.’
