Volunteer By Phone
If you’re like many people, your phone is always near at hand! Now you can make a difference simply by talking or texting. A handful of innovative services are available to help you Create the Good for people in crisis and make a meaningful impact on lives around the country.
Text for change.
More than 15 million text messages have been exchanged with the help of the Crisis Text Line. If you’re a good listener and like to text, you may have found your volunteer calling. The Crisis Text Line offers free, 24/7 support for those facing a crisis and provides qualified counselors with all necessary training. Volunteers range from full-time students, to veterans and retirees, and come from every ethnicity and all walks of life. However, the process is very selective (only 30% of applicants become counselors). Want to give it a try? Learn more.
Talk about important.
Connect better by phone? There are plenty of opportunities to make a meaningful difference voice to voice.
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides critical counseling services through more than 150 crisis centers across America. You can find the nearest location and more information about training and volunteering here.
- Help the Why: Hunger improve access to nutritious food in low income communities nationwide by ensuring that they have accurate, up-to-date data on food pantries, soup kitchens, senior box sites.
- Provide support to victims of drunk drivers as a MADD Helpline volunteer. Helpline Volunteers offer victims immediate emotional support, information, and referrals to MADD entities nationwide.
- Or become a peer counselor for Empower Work and help people navigate tricky work questions or tough work problems. The organization provides robust training that can also improve your professional skills in active listening, management and workplace dynamics.
Spread the good news.
If you have a specific non-profit organization you’d like to support, check to see if there are ways you could help by phone. Phone banking (or using your phone to gather data, inspire volunteers or encourage donations) is one way you can contribute with minimal training and time investment.
Put your neighbor in your smartphone.
Do you know people on your street who live alone? Reach out to them to ensure they have an emergency plan. Exchange phone numbers with your neighbors and offer to be of assistance. Better yet, organize a phone tree to get your entire neighborhood on the same page.
