CONTACT Helpline was founded in 1970 by an ecumenical group of ministers and their congregation members so that residents in the tri-county area of Harrisburg had someone to call, any time of day or night, when they were downhearted, distressed, or desperate. Calls to 717-652-4400 were free, confidential and answered entirely by volunteers highly trained in active listening techniques.
Today, CONTACT Helpline is supporting individuals and families by ensuring its helplines, the Emotional Listening Support Hotline, and the PA211 information and referral are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The advertised service area is Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntington, Juniata, Lancaster, Mifflin, Perry, and York counties, though calls will be accepted from anywhere. Services are still free, confidential, and answered by many volunteers and staff members.
The Emotional Listening Support Hotline is for anyone in the community who would like to talk to someone in a safe, non-judgmental environment. By dialing 211 or texting their zip code to 898211, callers are assisted with finding health and human services resources in the community such as housing, rent assistance, food, clothing, counseling, and addiction services using a comprehensive health and human service database for the region.
CONTACT Helpline has answered more than one million calls from people reaching out for emotional support and those seeking connections to human services information and referrals. CONTACT has now supported southcentral Pennsylvania communities through five decades of challenges, including the Hurricane Agnes flood, the Three Mile Island emergency, the 9/11 attacks, the 2008 Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONTACT is preparing a yearlong agenda to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The celebration will start with a virtual kickoff on Thursday, Nov. 19, including speakers from various stakeholders and an online silent auction. There will be monthly topics on social media, as well as small events and a 50th Anniversary Appeal. CONTACT hopes to hold a culminating celebration in November 2021.
To learn more about CONTACT Helpline, readers may visit http://www.contacthelpline.org.
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