On the highway outside Kosciusko, Miss., a truck carrying four Hispanic passengers overturned.  One passenger struck his head and died almost immediately. What were the others to do?  They were thousands of miles from home, spoke little or no English and had no legal status in the United States.

The accident, compounded by a language barrier, quickly turned into a murder investigation.

“If there had been a Spanish-language crisis line, somebody could have helped the three survivors, and then they would not have left their friend alone,” said the Rev. Canon Yamily Bass-Choate.

This incident, along with many others, encouraged Bass-Choate to find a way to assist the growing Hispanic community in times of trouble.

Contact the Crisis Line, an existing interfaith ministry in Jackson, offered to help establish a statewide Spanish-language crisis line.  In May 2002, Contacto Linea de Crisis was launched as Bass-Choate blessed symbolic telephones during a Cinco de Mayo celebration at St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

Contact the Crisis Line is a fully accredited affiliate of Contact USA and of Lifeline International.  Established in 1971 by a group of clergy and mental health professionals who realized that people were alone in their grief and troubles, the Jackson chapter currently logs over 1,000 calls each month.

In February 2004, the Jackson chapter also participated in a pilot for Reassurance Contact, a service providing a daily “reassurance” phone call to senior citizens, the physically challenged, the homebound or those living alone. The new ministry developed out of local and national concerns for the elderly and infirm, said Susan Darby, program director for Reassurance Contact.

“We get so many calls on the crisis line from older people who are depressed and lonely and who don’t have anyone to speak to all day long.  We became aware of a national program through Contact USA, blended it with some things that other Contact centers were doing for elderly clients and put that all together in a program that we felt would benefit people in our area,” said Darby.  “For example, a client in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s can be called each day with a reminder to eat a meal and make sure that their doors are locked before going to bed.”

The pilot completed a 90-day trial and is accepting additional clients.  

Services are free
Contact does not charge for its services, nor solicit funds from its clients.  Churches, church-related organizations, individuals, volunteers, corporations, the United Way and state and federal contracts provide the necessary funding.  In Jackson, Contact answers the phones for its own advertised services plus Mississippi’s rape crisis line, women’s shelter and child-abuse hotline.  Calls are taken 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  About 90 volunteers cover the shifts in the Jackson office, but more are needed.

Volunteers take a 13-week course involving about 40 hours of training and must sign a pledge of confidentiality before being certified.  
“Our trained volunteers bring compassion and the ability to direct the caller to potential sources of help after listening to their story,” said Geof Acker, program director for Contacto Linea de Crisis. “Often, all that is needed is an objective listening ear.” 
“Recently,” said Darby, “I met a woman who asked me where I work.  I told her that I worked for Contact. ‘Contact?’ she said. ‘Many years ago, you were there for me.  I was 20, unmarried, pregnant.

After talking to the first person who really listened to me – to someone who really gave me solutions and options -- today I have a 20 year-old-daughter who is the light of my life.’”

Although Contact has very specific criteria for what kind of assistance volunteers can offer, Contacto is developing under slightly broader guidelines. 

“We deal more with legal concerns and calls for translators or referrals to government agencies,” Acker said.  “Our scope is different because we are dealing with a language barrier and callers who need someone with a willingness to listen in their native language.

“What we do fills a very important niche.  Language is the barrier that prevents access to resources for the Spanish-speaking community.  We are still developing a [true] statewide pool of resources specific to the Hispanic population and we are recruiting more volunteers.”

Volunteers for Contacto must complete the same training as the regular Contact volunteers, and must be bilingual in order to interact with the English-speaking staff of other agencies.

‘All about love’
“I looked forward to the training because I was surrounded by so many positive people,” said Blanca, a first-year volunteer. “Even though I am a daughter, sister and sister-in-law of psychiatrists, it changed the way that I see life.  I am more patient now.  I know how to listen to people.  It took me closer to Christ, because it is all about love.” “A good slogan would be – ‘Volunteering for Contacto is walking a mile in other peoples’ shoes,’” said Blanca.

Others also sense God at work in Contact. “The Spirit really does move through this ministry: the non-judgment, the commitment, respect and recognition that everyone has the ability to solve their own problems,” said Dorothy Triplett, vice president of the Jackson chapter.

Mattie, a long-time volunteer, noted, “We don’t force religion on the callers, but if a person asks us, we will read Scripture and pray with them.  I want to be a follower of Jesus Christ ... and [this] telephone ministry lets me.” Concluded President and CEO Peter Myers, “It gives voice to God.”

For more information on finding the nearest Contact center, visit the Contact USA website at http://www.contactusa.org/.  Anyone interested in establishing a Contact chapter can call the home office at 860-464-2144.