Helpline event a success

For twenty-one years, the Mineral County Helpline has been fulfilling a need in the county and helping women when they find themselves in times of crisis.

Last month, the organization held one of the fundraisers it has been doing for four years. At the end of October, the group held a fall bazaar to bring vendors and shoppers together to help raise money to support the helpline.

“We did very well,” said Sally Miller, director of the Mineral County Helpline. “A lot of people came out and supported us. It went very well.”

Miller said that the fall bazaar was pretty successful the first couple of years they held it and last year the event ran well enough. Money from the event is used to help people out when needed and also to help pay to keep someone at the front desk. Miller said that the economy has been tough on them as well.

This year’s event featured the healing wall, which displays things that women have written who have overcome difficult situations, who have healed from abuse and who are still persevering.

Miller said that there are weeks where she starts to think that domestic violence has come to an end and then there are weeks when several calls come into the Helpline. The Helpline was started back in 1991 by a group of women who wanted to help other women that needed somewhere to turn when problems arose that seemed out of their control.

“They decided there was a gap here in the area and they thought that they could fill it,” said Sally Miller, director of the Mineral County Helpline. “They wanted to help women who were facing domestic violence problems.”

Today, nearly 20 years later, the sole mission of the Mineral County Helpline remains and they do what they can to help people when they can and provide a crucial resource in doing so. While the Helpline receives calls pertaining to various situations and difficulties, Miller said some of the most common calls they receive are from people who are depressed.

“What we try to do is try to help them see that there is a solution to their problems though they may not have thought of it yet and help them realize that there is hope,” Miller said.

Miller said that the helpline typically receives around 10 phone calls a week. Miller said that the helpline has a vital place in the community. The organization is funded by grants and by the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Academy). They try to help out where needed providing housing when needed, funds for gas, helping gather papers for divorce and whatever may arise.

“Someone can call the domestic violence hotline and we may be called to meet them somewhere in town to provide gas so they can get to their next destination,” Miller said.

Miller said that ultimately what they do is try to provide a “cooling out time” for when a problem occurs or to “diffuse the problem.” The agency also seeks to educate people.

Many people have come and gone with the organization and Miller said that it’s a problem she can’t figure out how to fix because one can easily get burned out. She’s been with the organization since 2003. Miller said that it takes someone who believes in doing something good to volunteer and work for the helpline.

“To do this, you have to believe in doing something good,” Miller said. “I’m here because I wanted to give people a place they could go when they are in trouble…somebody has to step up.”

Pauline Perkins, who works the desk at the helpline office on the weekdays, said that the reason she chose to do so was because she likes it and she likes to be able to help people.

“I like to help people and if nothing else, at least they have someone to talk too. A lot of times, they just want to be able to talk things over with someone,” Perkins said.

Miller said that when the helpline was first started the initial advocates were novices who wanted to be able to step in when needed.

“And they did good work,” Miller said. “Since then, others have built on that and we’re still trying to build on that.”

And the money raised last month at the Helpline’s fall bazaar will allow them to keep doing just that. Miller said she wants to offer a big thank you to those who showed up to support the organization and that their support is appreciated.