Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Marisa Fazio will walk from sunset to sunrise on June 1-2, to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention.
From June 1-2, Cranford native Marisa Fazio will participate in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Overnight, a 16 to 18-mile walk from sunset to sunrise, to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention. “I was diagnosed with depression at the age of 12. It’s a constant battle to fight the darkness. There is a horrible stigma around it, but depression is no one’s fault and certainly not demonstrated for any means of attention. It’s real and it’s painful and we need to help in any way that we can," Fazio said. According to Fazio, it's important to let young people know that there is no shame in depression or “mental illness” and there is help available to them. "So many teenagers and young adults are …
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Received more than 500 texts from those in distress since introducing texting in March
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
The numbers are scary. Since introducing a texting service in late March, the suicide prevention and crisis intervention hotline CONTACT We Care has received more than 500 texts from people in distress, the majority coming from teenagers, the nonprofit reported today. Texters reach the hotline by texting “CWC” to 839863 Monday, Wednesday or Friday 4:00-10:00 p.m. All texts are anonymous and confidential. This significant use of the texting service followed CONTACT’s promotion of the option in three Union County schools as part of its roll out of the program, as well as through general publicity, according to Joanne Oppelt, the agency’s executive director. In 2013 CONTACT plans to add up to four additional schools in an effort to make …
Monday, December 17, 2012
Suicide prevention and crisis hotline extends hours to ensure callers find help
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
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Monday, December 17, 2012
Fran McTernan answered the phone at 12:30 a.m. and heard a woman say, “I’m so glad you’re there. I’m sitting in my car Googling how to kill myself and your number came up.” McTernan, a volunteer listener at CONTACT We Care, a local crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline, talked to the caller, named Sarah, for two hours. She listened as Sarah told her she was in her mid-30s and felt like there was nothing to live for. Like all CONTACT listeners, McTernan was empathetic and attempted to guide Sarah to her own conclusions that there were reasons for her not to take her life and what actions steps she could take to make things better for herself. By the end of the call Sarah told McTernan she felt better. “I went home and went …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Volunteers go through extensive training in active listening skills and call management before going on the lines to answer crisis calls.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
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Thursday, November 15, 2012
The following is a press release from CONTACT We Care: November is National Caregivers’ Month and CONTACT We Care of Westfield salutes the 65 million family caregivers across the United States. CONTACT recognizes that caring full-time for a loved one with special needs is a selfless act of kindness and humanity—and one that can take a personal toll. At CONTACT, The Caring and Crisis Hotline, we know a little something about caring for people so we can be a valuable resource to caregivers who could use a little care themselves! Call CONTACT at 908-232-2880 or 1-800-273-TALK to reach a listener who understands. Or text ‘CWC’ to 839863, Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 4 and 10 PM. CONTACT We Care was founded in Scotch Plains in 1975 and …
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
CONTACT We Care provides a place for all ages to turn in a crisis.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
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Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The following is a press release from Westfield-based Contact We Care: NBC’s “Rock Center,” The New York Daily News, The New York Times, The Huffington Post – these are just some of the media outlets that recently have covered the message being delivered by Joe and Jane Clementi, parents of Tyler Clementi and founders of the Tyler Clementi Foundation. Now Joe Clementi will share that message with a local audience October 25 when he serves as keynote speaker at The 2012 Call of Hope Gala of CONTACT We Care, the suicide prevention and crisis intervention hotline located in Westfield. “Two years ago, as a college freshman, our son Tyler felt bullied and unsafe and made a decision that we will never be able to undo,” Joe and Jane Clementi …
Saturday, April 7, 2012
CONTACT We Care “listeners” offer help to teenagers in distress through their phones.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
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Saturday, April 7, 2012
The following is a press release from CONTACT We Care: CONTACT We Care, a crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline, is now able to help teenagers in distress work through their crises via texting, the nonprofit announced today. With more than 60 percent of teenagers preferring texting to other forms of communication this new service enables trained “listeners” to communicate with troubled teens in the way many are most comfortable with, according to Joanne Oppelt, executive director of the agency. Teenagers can reach a CONTACT We Care volunteer by texting “CWC” to 839863, Monday, Wednesday or Friday 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Volunteers are trained to empathize, interact and offer thoughtful direction that enables texters to see …
Friday, March 16, 2012
'Save Our Youth' is a campaign designed to raise awareness about teen suicide among parents and educators.
- OPINION
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Friday, March 16, 2012
Today’s conviction of Dharun Ravi for invasion of privacy and bias intimidation comes too late to save Tyler Clementi but should serve as a wakeup call for society that 21st century technology has brought teen bullying to new levels. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, approximately 20 percent of school students report experiencing cyberbullying in their lifetimes, with the most common types of cyberbullying being hurtful comments and rumors spread online. To help address this problem CONTACT We Care, the crisis listening line of Central and Northern New Jersey, on March 22 is launching a “Save Our Youth” campaign designed to raise awareness about teen suicide among parents, educators and community-based youth organizations …
Heather L. Robinson, Exec. Dir.
5:20 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Such valuable, important work! Kudos from the Chamber! more ›