Our main purpose is to be available 24/7 to all residents in any type of distress or crisis situation. We regularly speak with community members who are lonely or isolated, suffering from physical or mental illnesses, struggling with relationship and sexuality issues, enduring the effects of any form of abuse and attempting to heal following a devastating loss. Sometimes, the inner turmoil because so strong that a person begins to consider suicide. We strive for public awareness such that anyone with these thoughts will know that we are here, we will listen and we care. We are able to give hope and offer resources, help our callers to clarify their feelings and seek more positive strategies. Because of our presence 24 hours a day, we can offer support to those in need when their professional supports may not be available. Telecare is an integral part of the social service infrastructure of this community. We provide an emotional safety net, helping to alleviate stress, avert crisis and reduce pressure on emergency services.

As a quiet, anonymous and confidential distress line, we are also always looking for ways to promote ourselves – making sure that the people that need us are able to find us. To effectively serve our community, we need to keep our lines available 24 hours a day and we need to continuously recruit and train volunteers. We operate our lines efficiently for only $5 per hour, or $120 per day. To recruit and train a new volunteer, the cost is about $350.

A gift of $5 allows us to keep our lines open one more hour. A gift of $120 provides service for a full day and night. A gift of $350 gives us the support to increase the strength of our volunteer force. Any gift will help and all gifts are very much appreciated by Telecare Distress Line and by the communities of Simcoe County.