You Call, We Answer
My job at Lines for Life is to ensure that Oregon’s Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) know how they can benefit from connecting to our Military Helpline, and why it’s important to reach out to us. I come from a family with generations of veterans who have served this great country; it was my honor to continue this tradition. I...
I’ve always been passionate about supporting people when they might feel stigmatized or isolated. When I was growing up, my family struggled with poverty. Some of them turned to substances to cope and, even though they were around, I felt alone. The first funeral I ever went to was for a coworker who died by suicide, when I was 16. He was...
There is so much stigma against mental health and suicide in the Black and Creole cultures, but many of us are working to break that stigma. I’ve always been interested in mental health. My family moved to Southwest Louisiana over 300 years ago as one of the premier and largest Creole families.
The ripple effects of substance abuse and suicide are quantifiable and immense. I know firsthand how difficult it is to lose a loved one to suicide. I’m a suicide loss survivor. My father struggled with extreme mental illness and died by suicide when I was just nine years old. Ten years later, my sister died by suicide. In a lot of different...
Suicide prevention is very personal to me – one of the reasons I chose this path is that I want to make sure that help is accessible, and it’s something that people are not afraid to talk about. I grew up in extreme poverty – my brothers and I all struggled with our own mental health and substance use issues, and loss was a very prominent part of...
Calling crisis lines helped me through a few difficult times, and I want to return that favor. I was twelve or thirteen when I first called a crisis line in middle school. I found it very helpful when I was younger, and even through my college days. I struggled a lot with anxiety, depression, and ongoing suicidal impulses. I struggled to connect...
Dialing or texting 988 is not simply a conversation; it is a bold step to reach out. We understand you, can empathize with your plight, and will do all we can to help. We hurt as a community – now is it time we heal as one. My name is Martin, I’m 43, and I was born and raised in Northeast Portland. I answer helpline calls at Lines for Life. I am...