We normally make ourselves available over the holidays when many other organizations are closed, but this year we're going ahead and giving all of our staff a holiday break. We've had such a hard year, like so many, and time for all who work so hard here to rest and regroup at the end of it is necessary so we can keep doing our work well and do needed self-care.
We'll head out during the day on Saturday, December 24th, and we and all our services will be available again beginning Monday, January 2nd. We wish everyone who celebrates holidays during this time -- as well as all who don't -- peace, joy and warmth, and look forward to working with all of you directly again in 2017.
As always, all of the static portions of the site will be available. We will not be available in any of our direct services, but the message boards will be online as read-only during this time.
For those who need direct help or crisis care during this time, we suggest use of the hotlines below:
- Alcohol & Drug Abuse Crisis Line: 1-800-234-0420
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National STI Hotline: 1-800-227-8922
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention AIDS Hotline: 1-800-232-4636
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
- Crisis Text Line: Text keyword GO to the phone number 741741
- Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention: 1-800-931-2237
- Emergency Contraception Information: 1-888-NOT-2-LATE
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth Support Line: 1-800-850-8078
- Gay and Transgender Hate Crime Hotline: 1-800-616-HATE
- Love Is Respect Abuse Crisis Line: 1-866-331-9474 (phone) or text keyword LOVEIS to 22522
- National Abortion Federation Hotline: 1-800-772-9100
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- National Runaway Safeline: 1-800-786-2929
- National Safe Place: Text keyword SAFE to 69866
- National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK
- National Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-442-HOPE
- Planned Parenthood: 1-800-230-PLAN
- Pregnancy Helpline: 1-800-848-5683
- The Samaritans: 116 123 (UK)
- Self-Injury Hotline: 1-800-DONT CUT
- Teen Helpline: 1-800-400-0900
- Teenline: 1-800-522-TEEN or text keyword TEEN to 839863
- Trans Lifeline - 877-565-8860
(Image from Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, whose blooper reel, for the record, provides one of the surest routes to gut-cramp laughter you may ever encounter. Especially when you understand that the folks working the puppets were crammed together under a stage only a few feet high for hours throughout. Just sayin.)