It was just after 9:00pm when the phone rang in 2-1-1. When Casey, a Crisis Specialist, answered the line, the caller hung up. This went on repeatedly for a number of minutes. Finally, the line rang again and Casey heard the voice on the other end say in an angry tone, "I want to talk to someone who cares...before I kill myself". Casey immediately responded and told him "I care."

He said his name was Danny. That evening, he had arrived home from work to find a note from his wife saying she was leaving him and she was taking Tyler, their 2 year old son, with her.  

Danny was despondent.  He couldn't imagine coming home from work every day and not receiving a big hug from Tyler. The house was quiet and lonely. He started to cry as he continued his conversation with Casey.

He went on to tell Casey he had pulled his truck into the front yard, placed a saw-horse in the truck bed, and had tied a rope and noose around the branch of a tall oak tree in his front yard. He planned to take his own life using the makeshift gallows he had constructed.

Casey calmly reassured Danny that people did care for him. She talked with him about his relationship with his son and helped him see beyond the intense emotional pain he was experiencing in the moment. Through their conversation, she helped him understand things would get better. Casey convinced Danny that his son needed his daddy and that he could look forward to creating a lifetime of great memories with his son.

Danny eventually said he would not take his life and that he felt better. Over the course of a 25 minute call, Casey was able to guide him from talking about suicide to talking about his hope for the future.  Toward the end of the call Danny also agreed to obtain additional emotional support that would help him get through his crisis.

Danny is just one example of someone who turned to 2-1-1 and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay when they needed to talk to someone who cares.  Your financial support allows people like Casey to be there 24/7 to answer over 100,000 calls for help each year.