The Samaritans of Fall River and New Bedford have combined under a new brand, Samaritans Southcoast.
From the Samaritans Southcoast
Samaritans of Fall River and New Bedford becomes Samaritans Southcoast
Samaritans of Fall River and New Bedford, the region’s suicide prevention agency, has a new name, brand, logo, and website.
“Samaritans Southcoast better reflects the region we serve,” said Samaritans Southcoast’s Board President Lissa Singer. “As an agency, we serve 61 cities and towns in Massachusetts. By adding Southcoast to our title, we recognize the breadth of our region and our role within it.”
“The hallmark of our services is to provide emotional support to those who are lonely, depressed, or suicidal,” said Samaritans Southcoast’s Executive Director Darcy Lee. “Our new logo represents our caring, compassionate volunteers and the relationship they have with our callers.”
For 38 years, Samaritans Southcoast has operated a suicide prevention hotline headquartered in the southeast region of Massachusetts. Volunteers specially trained in suicide prevention and crisis intervention answer the hotline 15 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. Calls come in from around the country, with 70% of the calls coming in on a local, toll-free hotline or originating from Bristol and Norfolk Counties on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL). In addition to hotline services, Samaritans makes Kare Calls to senior citizens who would otherwise be isolated and lonely and offers Safe Place, a support group for survivors of suicide loss.
“We worked with local graphic designer and artist Kyle Tierce of Tierce.Design to find the right logo and colors to convey our suicide prevention message to the public,” continued Lee. “A heart formed by the outstretched hand of someone in need embraced by a caring individual, that’s who we are as Samaritans. The combination of the colors teal and purple together are nationally recognized as awareness for suicide prevention.”
A new website and web address, samaritanssoco.org, provides visitors with direct-dial access to the hotline from any smartphone, helpful information for suicide loss survivors, and application materials for prospective volunteers and student interns. Samaritans Southcoast’s affiliations with local, regional, national, and international partners are highlighted.
“The United Way of Greater Fall River, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention, and both of our local suicide prevention coalitions, Greater New Bedford and Fall River, are regional partners with us in our suicide prevention work,” said Lee. “Visitors can access helpful information about their work and services by clicking on their logos.”
Samaritans Southcoast is accredited by the International Council for Helplines, is a member organization of Befrienders Worldwide, and is one of 170 centers nationwide answering calls on the NSPL.
If you or someone you know is suicidal, please call Samaritans Southcoast at 1-866-508-HELP (4357) or the NSPL at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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