Lifelink/Samaritans Inc

Lifelink/Samaritans Incorporated is an independent, community-based voluntary organisation dedicated to aid and comfort all persons in distress, lonely or in conflict. Our trained volunteers provide a free 24/7 crisis helpline to anyone seeking help.

Lifelink/Samaritans Inc is the regional branch covering the Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne and Waikato communities.

In 2020 alone, our trained volunteers fielded almost 2,000 calls to our crisis helpline including 32 which focussed purely on suicidal thought and intent. Almost 60% of our calls are from individuals with poor mental health.

Since 1973, our mission has been to prevent suicide and violence; to provide a better quality of life for our callers by strengthening their capabilities and resilience, and as an outcome, to support the wellbeing and safety of individuals, their whānau and the wider community.

This vital work fills the gap where those who are vulnerable are able to instantly connect and engage outside of mental health, disability and addiction agencies who, due to high demand or access restrictions, are required to focus on emergency situations. We work closely with professional services to cover these pressure points and provide a non-clinical community based service both leading into and within the client pathway.

We also provide a listening ear and early-interventions to those suffering from loneliness, financial, poverty and housing difficulties, to those with health, gender, sexual and relationship problems. Regular callers are proof we are providing a valuable service to those who need support on a continuing basis.

We serve a diverse and disadvantaged group of high risk populations who have very few other places to turn to, who are consistently represented within low wellness and life satisfaction indicators within New Zealand. We support the needs of the elderly, females, those with disabilities, those from the LGBTQIA+ community, and socially or rurally isolated individuals. Our service welcomes all ethnic groups and particularly supports Māori and Pacific peoples with over 30% of calls coming from these communities during 2019.

Our service is essential and we continually require more volunteers to effectively cover demand and provide 24 hour continuous coverage. We have three volunteer intakes per year totalling approximately 20 trainees, and provide both these individuals and our existing team of 36 phone counsellors with free courses to enhance their skills and support these ‘first-responders’. These individuals progress on to positively influence the wellbeing and fiscal impact of their communities.

Our operational costs range from providing volunteer courses and ongoing support, campaigns for both volunteer recruitment and to ensure to the community knows how to reach our helpline, to community events and presentations, as well as ongoing costs such as phone costs and peripherals to ensure our counsellors can continue working from home and fully operational as an ‘”essential service” throughout any COVID-19 alert level.

Please give generously; your support enables us continue this vital service and achieve significant positive wellness outcomes for our community.

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Are you feeling depressed, lonely, distressed or suicidal and need to talk? Call us now for free on 0800 72 66 66. We're here to listen 24/7.