According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, about 62.8 million Americans, or 25.3 percent of the adult population, gave 7.9 billion hours of volunteer service worth $184 billion in 2014. Volunteers are of great value to nonprofit organizations.  Not only do volunteers help to save money, but they can provide better service to clients, increase contact with the greater community, make available better expertise, and reduce costs of services.

For each volunteer, the rewards are many - whether it's helping others, such as those who reach out to us, testing the waters for a chosen career, educational requirements and a myriad of other reasons.  Some of our volunteers are also looking for ways in which they can better support people in their own lives.  Samaritans relies on volunteers to provide the necessary services to thousands of callers each month.  For the first 6 months of the fiscal year, 71 new volunteers were welcomed at Samaritans.  They participated in a comprehensive training consisting of 32 hours of classroom training and 12 hours of "hands-on" training - partnering with a volunteer mentor.  Each volunteer commits to 4-8 hours a week for 9 months or 200 hours.  The monetary value of their service is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars - in other words priceless. 

Volunteers are a treasured asset at Samaritans.  Without them our crisis helpline would not run as smoothly and the number of people impacted would decrease significantly 

"Samaritans thanks each and every one of our volunteers each and every day!"

If you are interested in volunteering, contact us about attending an information session.

 

Suicide prevention training is an essential community need. If your school, company or community organization is interested in arranging a training, you can find more information here, or contact  Lauren.

Thank you to all those who attended our Annual Memorial Service on Sunday, January 29. Together, we gathered to remember our loved ones and to share the love and lasting impact they had on our lives. We heard poems that spoke to our love and grief, letters to siblings on how their families are doing and reminisced on fond memories of their time together. Equally moving were songs played in remembrance. We appreciate those who came to support others - family members, friends, and strangers alike - and those who spoke and opened their hearts to others. As it is often said, being a loss survivor is a club that no one chooses to join, but there can be comfort in knowing you're not in it alone. On behalf of Grief Support Services - thank you for sharing your loved ones with us.

Be on the lookout next fall for more information on the 2018 Annual Memorial. In the meantime, please know we're always here to support you. You can reach our Grief Support Services team at safeplace@samaritanshope.org.

• Come join Samaritans Boston Marathon team member Jessica
   Greenwood for a 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, April 2nd, 2017, from 10:30am - 11:30am.  This event will be held at the Veterans Memorial Park , 737 Elm St. Manchester, NH 03101, and will be followed by an after party at Club Manch Vegas.  For more information visit their facebook page.
• Come cheer for the Samaritans' Marathon Team on Marathon Monday, April 17, 2017 at Mile 17. Contact Max Bukowiec for details.

• Mark your calendars for the Breakfast for Hope -  Thursday, May 11th, 7am at The Westin Copley Place. Registration is now open .