"Voices of Samaritans"
The Other End of the Phone
Samaritans helpline PSA
"You are not alone"
Jeremy
Helpline Caller - May, 2013
"I've had your number in my wallet for six years and never needed to call it. Tonight, I did. You being there to listen to me and let me cry truly means the world to me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
Sue Kelly
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First Tuesday of each month
Amherst, MA
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Sunday, June 2nd
Happier Boston at
Join Us!
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Saturday, June 8th
Happier Boston at
Join Us!
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Saturday, September 28th
A great day to be alive!
Registration is open
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We love you, Boston!
Join our community of supporters.
Text ALIVE to 50555
to donate $10 to support Samaritans.
Message and data rates apply.
For terms: www.mGive.com/a |
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Samaritans
41 West St., 4th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
235 Walnut St. Framingham, MA 01702 |
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Carlos Arredondo, Roberta Hurtig & Melida Arredondo |
Our Hope Events were a highlight of my spring. So many different members of our community came together to reflect and heal, and to celebrate the people and organizations who helped get us through the past month - both those fast-thinking first responders who jumped in on April 15th and saved lives, and all the thousands of next responders, who have spent the last month helping our communities to heal.
We were so pleased that at our Breakfast for Hope, two of the courageous helpers from the Boston Marathon were with us. Melida and Carlos Arredondo are long-time members of the Samaritans community. They lost their son Brian to suicide after having also lost their son Alex in the war in Iraq. They have been courageous in advocating for support services for military families, and for awareness about suicide. In early April, Melida spoke movingly as a part of Samaritans' "Face of Suicide" panel at the Statewide Suicide Prevention Conference - and it is the image from April 15th when Carlos, in his cowboy hat, stepped forward to help save the life of Jeff Bauman that will stay in the minds of many of us. While that image is iconic,  I prefer this one that we received from Melida following the bombing, showing the friendship that has developed between Carlos and Jeff - once again proving that, even in the midst of tragedy, there is beauty, hope and grace when people reach out and connect with one another. Both Melida and Carlos are truly Good Samaritans, and we were honored to present them with the first ever "Good Samaritan Award" from our community. We look forward to continuing our collaborative work with the Arredondos in the coming weeks as we bring our message of hope and happiness to the Dorchester Day Parade, and to the Boston Pride Parade. I hope you will consider joining us.
Roberta Hurtig
Executive Director |
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The Next Responders
On the phones and in the community
Since the Boston Marathon, calls to Samaritans' helplines have increased by 20% and our program staff are working to increase volunteer coverage in order to be able to respond. Requests for other types of assistance from Samaritans are also on the rise.
Ron White, Debbie DiMasi and Kelley Cunningham visited Pine Manor College after the Marathon to meet with students who were present at the finish line and witnessed the aftermath.
In April and May, with funding from the Department of Public Health and in coordination with the Boston Public Schools, Samaritans provided five 2-hour suicide prevention workshops to all 100 of the Boston Public Schools' Bullying Intervention Specialists.
In May, Quincy College held a Student Forum on Suicide Prevention. Kelley Cunningham and Nate Baum participated in a panel for students to learn about suicide prevention, how to take care of themselves and others and to hear some inspiring stories of those affected by mental illness.
Last week, Debbie DiMasi joined Kelley Cunningham at the Sacred Heart School in Roslindale for a community meeting held in response to a number of recent suicides.
Would you like to be part of the next response?
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Event Co-Chairs Lisa Sarno, Vin Capozzi, & Terrie Perella-Pirozzi |
Each year, our Hope Events offer an amazing one-hour program that is informative and inspirational. This year, with the guidance of our terrific and experienced event co-chairs (right), we exceeded our goals for the event in every way. With the Happier Boston theme of "The True Meaning of Happiness," at both events, the rooms blossomed with color and radiated with the energy of a community coming together to reflect, heal and celebrate our resiliency.
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Samaritans 2013 Hope Video: "Happiness" |
The Breakfast and Lunch for Hope were a careful and successful balance of sober reflection on the events of the past month and their effects on the greater Boston community, as well as on the services of Samaritans. As a part of the program, in order to highlight the fact that helpline call volumes have been up by a consistent 20% since the Boston Marathon, Samaritans', we shared some of our call log notes from the days following the bombings:
"Was across the street from the bombings. Can't sleep."
"Veteran, just started to feel safe, then bombing."
"Knows the family of the boy killed."
"Nurse at trauma center, upset about the bombings."
Even though the main focus of the events was on helping Samaritans to deal with that reality by raising much needed revenues to help us increase our capacity, Happier Boston
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The audience is serenaded by a surprise a capella group. |
elements popped up throughout the program to remind us that often in the midst of tragedy and challenges there are glimmers of hope and happiness that renew our faith in the strength of our community.
In addition to a program that featured powerful testimonials, a moving awards ceremony and an amazing video, we were pleased to welcome and honor eleven of our seventeen marathon runners at the Hope Events:
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2013 Samaritans Marathon Team |
We were thrilled that the Hope Events raised more than $108,000 toward our suicide prevention programs. If you were unable to attend, but would like to make a gift, you can do so here:
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 Registration is Open!
More than fifteen teams are already signed up and getting an edge on the fantastic feeling of community, support and happiness that characterize Samaritans' Annual 5K Run/Walk. Click here to sign up for the 5K and your own fantastic feeling! Join us on Saturday, September 28, 2013 at DCR's Artesani Park in Brighton, MA. Signing up early is always a good idea, and soon we will announce some great incentives for early fundraisers.
There are many ways to get involved in 2013:
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Walk or Run! The course is a sanctioned 5K Race, but many people choose to walk the beautiful course. Registration is currently open at our 5K website. -
Organize a 5K Team! Participating in this heart-warming event with family and friends can make your experience even more memorable. - Bring your family! There will be face painting, live music, giveaways and other events - including a raffle - and free food that keep everyone smiling!
- Volunteer at 5k@samaritanshope.org! On the day of the event, we need more than 150 event volunteers to do everything from set-up to face painting to helping with the course. Volunteers receive a free t-shirt!
If you have questions about the 5K Run/Walk and Family Fun Festival, please contact event coordinator, Garrett Owen, at gowen@samaritanshope.org or call 617-536-2460. |
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