Volunteers put people on PATH to help

C.J. Hamilton is among the 90 volunteers who answer calls on the PATH crisis hotline each month. (Photo by Eric Stock/WJBC
C.J. Hamilton is among the 90 volunteers who answer calls on the PATH crisis hotline each month. (Photo by Eric Stock/WJBC

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Volunteers manning a crisis call center in Bloomington say they are ready for anything.

C.J. Hamilton never knew his devotion to author John Green would pay off like this.

“We talked about his books for a while, that got her to calm down,” Hamilton said. “Eventually I convinced her to put the razor blade down.”

Hamilton is an intern who answers phones at the crisis hotline at PATH, where they field everything from thoughts of suicide to needing help paying their water bill.

His advice – sometimes it’s as simple as listening.

“It’s always important to establish a small rapport with callers so they trust you and are willing to discuss their issues with you,” Hamilton said.

PATH fields about 50,000 calls a year from a 35-county area in Central Illinois, while some calls are redirected from a National Suicide Prevention hotline.

Ann is a retired school counselor has been a volunteer for the last 10 years. She called it one of the best ‘jobs’ she has ever had.

“I get to esteem and validate people by listening to them and reflecting their feelings, listening to their issues,” Ann said.

Training coordinator Kevin Richardson said it’s most important to not use labels.

“I’m talking to an individual who is experiencing homelessness, they are not just a homeless person, they are not just a bum on the street,” Richardson said.

Some volunteers said the experience has helped more than just those they’ve met over the phone, they’ve also helped themselves.

Mary, an IT analyst at State Farm, was looking to improve her communication skills when she decided to join PATH 14 years ago.

“Even though I wasn’t naturally the kind of person who would speak up in meetings or would make the tough phone calls or who would try to diffuse an intense situation,
I started learning all those skills,” Mary said.

PATH has confidentiality agreements in which it does not disclose the names of its volunteers. PATH has about 90 volunteers who cover three-hour shifts. There will be a training program on Thursday. More information is available at www.pathcrisis.org.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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