Our own YouthLine describes the volunteer experience providing support to peers in crisis!
A reminder that YouthLine is an essential service during the COVDI19 shutdown. Teen volunteers are here to answer calls, texts, and chats from 4pm-10pm PST every day. Adults answer calls at all other times. Reach out if you need support!
I heard about YouthLine when my 9th grade health teacher mentioned it’s a great mental health support system. The idea of teens supporting other teens was so empowering and exciting to me that I jumped at the first chance I had to get involved.
Going to my YouthLine shift is by far, hands down, the best part of my weeks. Apart from the lovely, supportive and phenomenal team of volunteers and staff that I have the pleasure of working with, one of my favorite parts of being a crisis line worker is talking to our contacts. Each shift, I am floored by the bravery, courage, and resilience our contacts show. Working at YouthLine has taught me how hard it can be to reach out for support in such a vulnerable way. The fact that our callers do so for their mental wellness is so inspiring and has challenged me to reconsider and readjust my priorities.
Something else I love about working at YouthLine is the indescribable impact our work has on young generations and the world at large. I cannot describe how happy I am when a contact tells me they are feeling better than when they reached out. A texter once said they were feeling stronger and like they could get through a challenge because they reached out to YouthLine. Moments like these prove how impactful our work truly is. When young people have a reliable, confidential, and trustworthy support they can talk to, someone their age who gets what it feels like to be a teen and encourages getting support, we build a stronger society: a society that celebrates and discusses mental health, acknowledges how difficult life can truly be, and most importantly, one that shows feeling better is possible. I am so privileged and honored to be a part of such a wonderful organization that makes this change possible.
For more information on how you can volunteer with YouthLine, text ORVol to 855-11, email YouthL@linesforlife.org, or click here!
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