Historical June 1981 volunteer notice. Services, call counts, hours and phone numbers refer to the period, not current crisis or relay-service guidance.
CONTACT-St. Louis is seeking new volunteers for its two telephone ministries: the helpline, and the telecommunications service for the deaf.
CONTACT’s helpline is for people who have a need to discuss a problem, feeling or situation that is causing them distress or suffering. Volunteers receive 50 hours of training in active listening techniques, attend lectures by community professionals and learn to suggest appropriate referrals.
The training is done in classes, and the next class begins June 9. Last year, nearly 12,000 people called CONTACT for help with their problems.
CONTACT’s telecommunications service for the deaf is a means for deaf and hearing people to communicate with each other on the telephone.
The CONTACT volunteer receives the message of a deaf person on a teletype, reads the message to the hearing person and then types back a reply to the deaf person. It’s a simple procedure, but it provides a deaf person with the safety, independence and privacy that non-disabled people take for granted.
CONTACT’s telecommunications service for the deaf is the only service of its kind in the state of Missouri or Southern Illinois. Volunteers on this service receive 4 to 6 hours of individualized training. Nearly 24,000 calls were expedited for the deaf in 1980. Volunteers on both services work 8 hours each month following training.
For more information and an application, call CONTACT’s business number – 725-5719 – Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Or write to CONTACT-St. Louis, P. O. Box 9249, St. Louis, Missouri 63117.
Originally published in The Paper, June 1981.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1981_06.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
