PATH Crisis Hotline in Need of Volunteers
By: Kim Behrens
Updated: January 2, 2013
BLOOMINGTON- Jared Holmes has been helping hundreds of people find a brighter future for years.
He's done it, simply over the phone.
"You talk to someone who's dealing with something far more serious than what you're going through and it makes you reevaluate what your priorities are," said Holmes.
He works at PATH, a Bloomington call center that assists people in the tri-county area 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Those who dial 2-1-1, will get a warm voice and a listening ear.
Problem is, phones keep ringing, but people on the receiving end are in short supply.
"Winter is a hard time for a lot of people so...January, February, will be pretty high call volumes for us," said Jennifer Nettleton.
Nettleton is the hotline service manager at PATH.
She's looking for volunteers to take shifts answering phones.
"We run on limited staff and if we didn't have the volunteers, our hotline couldn't function," Nettleton explained.
They assist callers with a number of requests, from financial assistance, to housing options, and of course...advice on life.
"We can give an unbiased ear to help them sort through and see differing sides," added Nettleton.
But until more volunteers step up to lend an ear, staff will stay busy taking calls from those who need some guidance.
It takes about eight weeks to be trained as a PATH hotline volunteer.
To learn more about the program or take part in it, call Jared Holmes at 309-834-0541.
He's done it, simply over the phone.
"You talk to someone who's dealing with something far more serious than what you're going through and it makes you reevaluate what your priorities are," said Holmes.
He works at PATH, a Bloomington call center that assists people in the tri-county area 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Those who dial 2-1-1, will get a warm voice and a listening ear.
Problem is, phones keep ringing, but people on the receiving end are in short supply.
"Winter is a hard time for a lot of people so...January, February, will be pretty high call volumes for us," said Jennifer Nettleton.
Nettleton is the hotline service manager at PATH.
She's looking for volunteers to take shifts answering phones.
"We run on limited staff and if we didn't have the volunteers, our hotline couldn't function," Nettleton explained.
They assist callers with a number of requests, from financial assistance, to housing options, and of course...advice on life.
"We can give an unbiased ear to help them sort through and see differing sides," added Nettleton.
But until more volunteers step up to lend an ear, staff will stay busy taking calls from those who need some guidance.
It takes about eight weeks to be trained as a PATH hotline volunteer.
To learn more about the program or take part in it, call Jared Holmes at 309-834-0541.
