Lifeline as you know is national charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Their service has been extremely critical for people during the last couple of years as they worked through the difficulties that the pandemic has represented.
Lifeline was launched on the Sunshine Coast on 1 August 1982 in a warehouse on the corner of Duporth and Ocean Street Maroochydore and that was the volunteer telephone counselling centre rostered to support a 24-hour service. Move forward to today and the Sunshine Coast Service now comprises of 13 retail shops, community recovery, crisis support services and corporate training. The Sunshine Coast Crisis Call Centre is now part of the national Lifeline network and takes calls from all over Australia.
I was honoured to attend the celebratory morning tea to celebrate 40 years of the service on the Sunshine Coast and have the opportunity to speak at the event. Lifeline provides much-needed support to so many in the community.
The Sunshine Coast volunteers support is integral to the service and they are currently recruiting for additional Crisis Support Volunteers – to find out more information on becoming a volunteer CLICK HERE