Sunday , January 17 will be the church’s next SASO (Social Action Shared Offering) and will benefit Reachout of St. Lawrence County.
Reachout has been around a LONG time: established at SUNY Potsdam in 1976, it provides vital help to desperate people, and does so with modest resources.
Reachout is St. Lawrence County’s Crisis and Information Hotline. Serving as our Rape Crisis Center and Suicide Hotline, Reachout offers free, confidential, nonjudgmental support and information for residents of St. Lawrence County. They focus on crisis services and supportive listening, and provide a host of other services as needed. They answer after hour calls for many other human services agencies including AA, Renewal House and mental health clinics, and they connect callers with staff from other programs. The phone line is answered 24/7 by a group of trained volunteers. Their Mobile Crisis Team of 3, each with over 25 years experience, sends trained counselors to meet and assess at-risk people at locations throughout the county. Reachout also participates in many health fairs in the community and at schools to share information. Training is offered in QPR and Mental Health First Aid. Staff also participate in the counties Opioid Task Force and Suicide Coalition.
The Covid 19 pandemic has put intense pressure on Reachout. They are receiving double, and in some months triple, the typical number of crisis calls. Our county has experienced a spike in suicides and seen increases in domestic violence and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Also, Reachout receives calls about social isolation and calls from college and younger students about the difficulties with remote learning. Reachout has been operating remotely throughout the pandemic.
Reachout is a nonprofit organization that receives funding from the state that is funneled through the county. They have been hit with a 20% reduction of funding due to the pandemic. The pandemic has also impacted the large number of dedicated, trained volunteers who help staff the 24/7 hotline. Many had been college students who are not currently available. Reachout provides comprehensive training program to prepare volunteers. If you’d like to help save lives in St. Lawrence County, please consider volunteering for their training program.
More information about Reachout can be obtained at www.reachouthotline.org or by calling Reachout at 315-265-2422.
Donations to this SASO will help this important not-for-profit organization to maintain its mission and continue to provide essential services to the residents of St. Lawrence County.