The Samaritans relies on volunteers, who through the goodness of their hearts, are willing to reach out to help people who call our crisis help lines. People from all walks of life are trained to offer support and befriending for those who are lonely, despairing, suicidal or need someone to listen. Trainings take place 4 times a year. The classroom portion is about 12 hours. Once that portion is complete, we ask that you shadow a trained volunteer on the phones for 20 hours to learn how to handle actual calls. After that, we assign you a volunteer number and you can sign up for whatever shift fits your schedule. We ask for a one year commitment for one 5 hour shift a week. Contact us to learn more about volunteering for the Samaritans.