Marie is a valuable member of Buckelew Programs’ Suicide Prevention Hotline volunteer corp. Like all who are sanctioned to ‘work the phones,’ Marie had to successfully complete the 40-hour training program. Only those who prove they can effectively apply what they’ve learned through training are permitted to ‘graduate’ and work Hotline shifts.

The Hotline celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021, having provided crisis intervention to more than 300,000 local residents since its inception. Several of the Hotline volunteers have been with the program for 20 years and more. Many serve because they’ve lived through the suicide of a family member or close friend and are passionate about the cause.

Marie, a retired nurse, has been a long-term supporter of the program. She has also lost two close family members to suicide. “I’d always ask if there was any other volunteer position available besides answering the phones. I was too scared. But this year, I decided it was time to get involved on a deeper level.”

“By nature, I tend to be a ‘fixer,’ she says. “But that isn’t our role. We can’t cure every problem. We can only be with them in that moment. But in that space, we have a tremendous opportunity to make an impact. The ones who call – part of them wants to live.”

“I still get nervous before every shift,”’ she says. “But once I get here, I’m OK.”