Explode a Freeper's Head! Help me raise $ for 1-800-SUICIDE

[EFerrari]

DUers: This suicide prevention hotline is facing a hostile takeover by the feds.

LiberalHeart, sparosnare, Heidi and other DUers first brought this up last week when the hotline was facing a shutdown in only 8 hours.

Well, we got a two week extension but they still need help.

from their site:

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD – BEFORE OUR GOVERNMENT SUFFOCATES THE NATION’S LARGEST PRIVATE & COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL HELP SYSTEM.

1-800-SUICIDE is in danger of being shut off or worse falling into the hands of the Federal Government. With teenage suicide being the 3rd leading cause of death between 18 to 24 year olds - our government should not be duplicating prevention efforts but helping fund the many local organizations and non-profits with proven track records on prevention. In addition our government should not be in the business having access to this private and sensitive information!

No other crisis hotline is owned by the federal government! Read more...

Despite the fact that almost 2 million callers have reached help and hope over the last 8 years, and a government funded evaluation stating the benefits of 1-800-SUICIDE, the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), a division of Health & Human Services, has decided to create their own government run system where they would have direct access to confidential data on individuals in crisis.

To protect the callers to suicide crisis hotlines the management of 1-800-SUICIDE has refused to turn over the control of the National Hopeline Network to the SAMHSA.

http://www.save1800suicide.org/

1. Please shake your junkdrawer and see if you can donate at their site:

http://www.save1800suicide.org/donate/

2. After you make your contribution, please post the amount to this thread or PM me, so we can keep track of what DU is raising for the Hope Line.

This thread is dedicated to Marissa, 1959-1985



Thanks to the Admins for giving us permission to post this thread. Required disclaimer: The administrators of Democratic Underground have given permission for one discussion thread on this topic. The administrators of Democratic Underground make no claims regarding the legitimacy or illegitimacy of this fundraising effort. Permission was granted by Skinner on 8/14/2006, and the moderators have been notified.

[Deja Q]

1. I thought the age of Big Government(tm) was over? Worse,

Why are they trying to nix a private company, especially when the government is cutting many other social services projects?!

[Skidmore]

2. Another avenue to collect sensitive data on individuals?

[EFerrari]

4. You got it! But. the Hope Line is standing tall and not giving in.

:)

[EFerrari]

3. What are the chances of me calling a hotline if Big Bro is collecting

my information?

:mad:

[G_j]

5. k&r

[TheFriedPiper]

6. Suicide should be not only legal, but heavily advertised on late night TV

We should take steps to avoid 'impulse' suicides, like instilling a waiting period, but it should be encouraged for people that think it will solve their problems.


Less idiots = less republicans.

It's a win/win


On edit, I DO support the hotline, if only to make sure people are serious before they do it.

[EFerrari]

7. Let's save the Hope Line from the c(v)ultures of life

:kick:

[Synnical]

8. And if you donate, you'll be enrolled in a raffle

to receive a free copy of the latest Post Secret book.

http://www.save1800suicide.org/raffle.html

K&R :kick:

[EFerrari]

9. Cool! I did not know that! Here's a link to one of the original DU

threads:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1886596&mesg_id=1886596

[EFerrari]

10. Kick

[bobbolink]

11. back to the top with ya!

[shugah]

12. kick

:kick:

[The empressof all]

13. This is the agency that was awarded the Govt contract

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/about/default.aspx


Here is their viewpoint regarding this situation:

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/media/PDF/crisis_centers_alert_8-11-06.pdf

The truth is that 1 800 Suicide does good work and it's a shame that they may not be able to continue to operate without governmental funding. In the past they had received some federal money through a sub-contract through another provider. When the contract came up for bid 1 800 Suicide did not submit a proposal for funding.

The Government is requiring in the contract that general demographics such as general location of the call, number of calls, and possible data like gender and age if available be submitted to them in the aggregate as part of the oversight process. This kind of information is submitted regularly by any health care agency that receives govt funding of any type including Medicaid or Medicare. This IMO is not an unreasonable request nor is it an invasion of privacy. We certainly would expect our government to provide a degree of oversight over the money that they distribute and expect a degree of accountability from their contractors.

[EFerrari]

14. We might start with Halliburton and not the Hopeline.

The entire point of calling such a hotline is that you can get support anonymously. If you start collecting this kind of data, you're on a slippery slope. My .02

And, what should we make of the outstanding bill to ATT -- a bill that was not paid by SAMHSA even though the funds were already allocated?

Looks a wee bit like blackmail to me. :)

[SPKrazy]

20. It Might Be A Way Of Deciding Where Suicides Are More Likely

and by whom, etc.

demographics without ID isn't a bad thing

it could mean more money for states, communities that have greater need

[EFerrari]

35. There was no agreement that there would be no i.d.

:(

[Swamp Rat]

15. k&r

I'm not really here. :D

[EFerrari]

17. Okay, Ghost of Swampy.

Thank you.

:hi:

[TomInTib]

16. k&r I hope everyone here gets this out to everyone they know

This is an outrage.

[EFerrari]

18. Anderson Cooper was working on a segment for the Hope Line.

Have you heard anything about that, Tom?

:hi:

[EFerrari]

19. Thanks so much for the recs, DUers. My deal is this.

I never got to meet my sister in law. Her suicide was / is shrouded in shame. She was just a baby, just 25 and she didn't have a resource she felt she could use like 1 800 SUICIDE.

The family, to this very day, can't even talk about it. I can't even hang her picture up in tribute in our home because, somehow, the whole event carries a truckload of shame. I don't really understand it.

We need to make it EASIER not HARDER for people to access support when they need it.

1 800 SUICIDE is the number I've given out to my peers who are dealing with family members at risk. They have been consistently excellent in their support of the people using that service.

For Marissa, for all of our people, let's keep this service on line.

:loveya:

[EFerrari]

21. Utterly shameless kick

:kick:

[Synnical]

22. . . .

[Bluerthanblue]

23. I gave a

tiny donation last week- 10 dollars.... I wish I could do more.... There is no excuse for this program to not survive.... :-(

[EFerrari]

24. Thank you, we'll get it done.

:hug:

:kick:

[coffeenap]

25. Fifty to them, thanks sfexpat! mwah! nt

[EFerrari]

29. Mwah back!

Lol!

[silverlib]

26. Just donated

$25.00 - hopefully I can do more later.

Thanks for taking the lead on this. As usual, you are wonderful on a daily basis.

[EFerrari]

33. Thank you, silverlib!

:hi:

Let's see how we do. :)

[dsc]

27. Not to be competative but there is an important alternative

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/default.aspx

This is geared toward gay, lesbian, transgendered and questioning youth. I will be giving to your hotline next week when I am paid. But I do want this line to get out there for those who need it. I came close to being one of the many gays who kill themselves. A good friend helped me in my night of need. I take seriously my need to give back.

[EFerrari]

30. There is no bad support! Thank you for the link, my friend!

:hug:

:grouphug:

[dsc]

32. thanks

again, I have been there. I owe the person who helped me at least that much.

[EFerrari]

34. Right on. That's how it works.

:)

[loudsue]

51. dsc -- I'm REALLY glad you got some help.

:loveya: I'm glad you're still here! You've taught me a LOT on DU, and it makes me sad to think we might never have known you. :grouphug:

Thanks for linking this site, too. I hope all DUers can send a lil sumpin' to both of these great help sites.

:kick::kick::kick:

[dsc]

54. Thanks

that is such a sweet thing to say. It was a long, long time ago thankfully. The ironic thing is that I didn't really want to kill myself I just didn't want my parents to have to deal with who I was. I have since, as have they, dealt with that hurdle. Now if I just could lose some weight, but one thing at a time.

[AZCat]

28. donated fifty (and kicked) n/t

[EFerrari]

31. Thank you, AZCat.

:hi:

[AZCat]

37. It's the LEAST I can do.

Not everyone has a friend who will listen (like I do - thanks JLM!) and this is for those people.

[EFerrari]

38. I get it. I really do. And this is for my friends, too.

:kick:

[EFerrari]

36. 6:55pm $235.00. I'd like to see this thread do a grand.

Whaddya think?

:)

[EFerrari]

39. Kick for the night crew.

:hug:

:grouphug:

[EFerrari]

40. kick

[WilliamPitt]

41. I endorse this thread

( :P for sfexpat2000)

...and I will kick in tomorrow morning. Thanks for letting us help.

[EFerrari]

42. Lol! Thanks, Will.

:kick:

[shugah]

43. kick

:kick:

[EFerrari]

44. Morning kick

[Heidi]

45. .

:kick:

[sybylla]

46. $100 - for my brother-in-law Ron, 1946-1994

and for the nieces, nephews and grandchildren who will never know what a wonderful person he was.

I'm disgusted that my government is messing with such an important program.

The best prevention for suicide is talking about it. I hope everyone who reads this thread will give what they can. Even though you may not have been touched by suicide, the chances are pretty good that in your lifetime someone you know will take their own life. Giving a little now may turn out to be an investment in your family's future.

[EFerrari]

47. Thank you, sybylla.

The best prevention is talking. :hug:

:grouphug:

[EFerrari]

48. Kick for lunch

[EFerrari]

49. I feel worried because I just talked to Reese and we're lagging.

Phones go off on Saturday unless something shakes loose. :(

[EFerrari]

50. Message from Reese Butler, President, Kristin Brooks Hope Center

Dear DU:

As the National Hopeline Network 1-800 SUICIDE receives its 2,000,000th caller later this month your efforts serve as a reminder to all of us that without your help and support we would not be able to make this happen. It takes the volunteers at the crisis centers who answer the calls for free, the volunteers at the Kristin Brooks Hope Center who route the calls and the supporters like you who not only help us to pay the bills but give us the energy through your spirit to keep going. Thank you for that support. No one needs to be reminded that as long as one person suffers we all suffer so lets pull together to make this network the best it can be.

Best always,

Reese Butler
President and Founder
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE 784-2433
202-536-3200
202-536-3206 fax
615 7th Street NE

[sybylla]

52. Kick for a good cause - please help

Suicide tears families apart. Takes parents from their children and children from their parents.

It's philanthrophy you won't regret.

[EFerrari]

53. kick

[Synnical]

55. What?

:kick:

[stepnw1f]

56. kick (nt)

[EFerrari]

57. Still kicking for the Hope Line

:kick:

[myrna minx]

58. A kick to keep this valuable resource going.

A kick for HOPE. :kick:

[EFerrari]

59. We've raised $335.00 so far. Can we make it an even $500?

This is an awful time of year for fundraising.

We do what we can.

:loveya: