Looking Back on the Decade: Success Stories & a Big THANK YOU for Supporting the Crisis Center Over the Years

As the decade draws to a close, we are looking back at some of the major events for the Crisis Center in the last 10 years. We also want to offer our most sincere thanks and gratitude to the volunteers, donors, supporters, staff, partners, and community that make this critical work possible.

We wish we did not need to be here, but are glad we are here for the community. Crisis calls are up 26% and APS/CPS calls are up 14%. 211 referrals – connecting those in need to vital services – are up 200%!

We’ve added Linea de Crisis (the Bay Area Spanish language crisis line) and now offer grief groups in Spanish to better serve the community we represent.

We retired our mortgage with help from Leftovers Thrift Shop and The Joseph & Vera Long Foundation.

We launched the Help Me Grow project with First5 Contra Costa and partners, providing support and resources for parents and developing youth 0-5 years old.

Website use is up 14% and ten years ago we had no social media presence.

Our call center was re-accredited for five years by the American Association of Suicidology in in 2014 and again in 2019!

Again, thanks to all of you for making this lifesaving support possible!

The Crisis Center help lines provide 24/7 crisis counseling. Whether you are dealing emotional distress or other issues, we are here for you. We also can provide or connect you or people you love to services or recovery resources. Call us anytime, night or day, at 211 or 800-833-2900 or text HOPE to 20121.

How the Crisis Center Helps – See Stories of Hope in Short Video (CW)

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We invite you to watch these powerful stories – from actual Crisis Center Grief Program participants- about how they utilized programs of the Crisis Center to help cope with tremendous loss. (CW) The content is very powerful and might illicit a strong emotional response, but there are also powerful messages of hope.

Their stories have this in common – they called the Crisis Center.

If you, or someone you know, needs emotional support, we are here 24/7. Call 211 or text HOPE to 20121 to talk with someone.

 

Annual “Judy Guthrie Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition Brunch” – July 21st, 2019

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Congratulations to Ron Potts, the recipient of the Annual “Judy Guthrie Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition Brunch” Volunteer of the Year Award for 2019!

Sunday, July 21st, 2019 was a day of appreciation for all the many volunteers and staff that contribute in making the Contra Costa Crisis Center the best it can be! All of them work tirelessly to ensure that we fulfill our mission to keep people alive and safe, help them through crises, and provide or connect them with culturally relevant resources in the community.

Many of the attendees came from the Leftovers Thrift Shop, which operates entirely through the staff of volunteers who sort, price, create displays, and sell merchandise. Since the shop was founded in 1976, it has never had a paid employee.

And other attendees came from our call center’s hotline, which operates 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, and serves as a touchstone for the community. Answering nearly 70,000 calls a year, the 211 Information and Referral program, assists to connect individuals and families in need to agencies that provide emergency shelter, food, mental health and substance abuse counseling and hundreds of other services.

Thank you all for your volunteer work. Thank you all for attending.

And a special thank you to Ron Potts, our Volunteer of the year!