I started volunteering with Lifeline Canberra about six years ago, soon after my son was born. Among many reasons, I wanted to inspire him to do good things with his life.
While I have other commitments such as work and family responsibilities and many other interests, I keep volunteering because if someone is distressed or suicidal I want their call for help to be answered. I want the suicide rate to decrease, not increase.
Lifeline Canberra is also a wonderful organisation to be involved with. Remaining a volunteer longer term means I can accumulate experience and help more and more over time. I’d like to keep going until my son is old enough to join me if he wants to.
Every call is an opportunity to improve someone’s life, or help keep them safe. One suicide or attempted suicide can adversely impact many people, so preventing suicide attempts is a very effective way of making a positive difference. I know I’ve made a direct positive difference, for example during my first year of volunteering a caller told me ‘I really was going to suicide, but because of this call I won’t’.