Contact Information: For more information, please contact: Joseph Levie (212) 877-9891 Amy Bonderow or James Hamilton
The Help Line of New York Is Coming Back
| Source: Help Line of New York
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - March 20, 2008) - Thousands of New Yorkers were affected when
Help Line, a 37 year old all-volunteer telephone crisis hotline was closed
at the end of December 2006. In continuous operation since 1970, Help Line
of New York is a volunteer nonprofit New York City institution which has
taken more than 2 million calls assisting New Yorkers over the years. Help
Line was temporarily deactivated at the end of 2006 due to financial
pressures on its sponsor. A group of former Help Line volunteers and
public-spirited individuals are now well advanced in the process of
reviving and re-launching Help Line as a freestanding public organization.
What is Help Line? Help Line of New York is a nonprofit crisis telephone
service offering emotional first aid and information to any caller about
any problem. Although a number of hotlines exist to service specific niches
such as suicide, child abuse, gender issues and the like, Help Line has
been the only general hot line that will assist any person in crisis who
seeks the attention of a caring voice. Free, anonymous and confidential,
its phones are staffed by trained volunteers with listening ears and caring
hearts supervised by a certified social worker or licensed certified mental
health professionals and experienced senior volunteers. Help Line's purpose
is to help callers with any problem, such as domestic violence, suicidal
thoughts, loneliness, depression, interpersonal relations, etc. Volunteers
are trained to be nonjudgmental and to listen with empathy in order to help
callers focus on their problem and move forward toward an appropriate
course of action. A database for appropriate referrals to specific
agencies and other sources is maintained. The volunteers are trained
in-house by senior volunteers and staff social workers. Their relationship
with the callers is anonymous and restricted to telephone contact.
Considerable progress has been made toward reestablishing Help Line. With
the assistance of the pro bono program of Clifford, Chance, a major New
York law firm, Help Line of New York has been incorporated as a New York
not-for-profit member corporation. Officers and directors have been
selected. Joseph H. Levie, a retired partner of Rogers & Wells, a
predecessor law firm of Clifford, Chance has been elected president. Amy
Bonderow, a retired agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has been
elected Treasurer. An application for tax exemption status under Section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code has been approved and contributions
to the Help Line will be tax exempt. The new corporation has joined the
Nonprofit Cooperative Committee of New York. The larger body of former
volunteers has been advised of the intention to revive the Help Line and
their response has been good. A web site is in development.
The first goal is to recommence service on a limited basis, as soon as
sufficient funds have been raised and planning completed. The initial hours
of operation will probably be in the evenings and on Saturday morning.
Historically, these have been the busiest times for calls received. Enough
ex-volunteers have indicated that they are eager to go back to work to make
this practicable. To increase service to as close to 24/7 as soon as
possible, additional volunteers will have to be recruited and trained. All
present volunteers have passed through a rigorous 54-hour training in the
"Active Listening" technique pioneered by psychotherapist Carl Rogers in
the 1950s and regularly put in four-hour shifts where they offered
information and referrals, calmed people in crisis and helped callers to
assess the situations affecting them and consider options for actions. The
volunteers are not therapists and do not do therapy. No untrained volunteer
ever goes on the line. New volunteers will be asked to commit for at least
two years.
Confidentiality prevents callers from giving testimonials, but every
volunteer has testified to what a profound experience working at HelpLine
was for them. "Volunteering for Help Line inspired me to make some of the
most meaningful connections of my life -- with total strangers. It had a
deep and lasting impact on me and I miss having it in my life": Kendra
Levin, Help Line volunteer.
Progress to date has been good, but we still have further work to do before
we can go operational again. We are in the process of developing
appropriate software and, of course, the volunteers' training will have to
be refreshed. We need to raise funds and if possible, find space. A
"virtual" hot line with supervised volunteers working from home with proper
supervision and control is an alternative which we are exploring. We need
additional volunteers to be trained.
For 36 years, Help Line has supported the New York community. Now it needs
the community's additional support to bring it back to life. The former
volunteers and friends of the Help Line are determined that will happen.