|
Everyone is talking about the end of the year. About how time flies. About how tired they are, and how they are looking forward to a year-end break. So I thought I’d buck the trend, and talk about birthdays. LifeLine’s 40th birthday, to be specific.
At 5pm on 5 November 1968, the LifeLine telephone in Cape Town rang for the first time. It has continued to ring – and to be answered – continuously, since then. While individuals throughout the Cape Town and surrounding areas have picked up their phones to talk about things that have been troubling them, LifeLine’s volunteer counsellors have been listening. It’s now 40 years on, and we’re still listening. If anyone needs to talk – about anything – our counsellors are trained to offer non-judgmental, anonymous, confidential and caring counselling over the phones, or face-to-face.
It’s quite amazing, if you stop and think about it. 40 years. And we’re still offering a relevant service that is needed and used by thousands of people every year. We even have one counsellor among our Cape Town membership, who was there when it all began, back in Church Square in Cape Town. Noel Wood, our 40 year LifeLine volunteer, was there, when Reverend Peter Storey had the idea, which he brought back with him from Australia – having worked with LifeLine’s founder, Reverend Allan Walker, in Sydney, Australia, for a few years prior to that – to introduce LifeLine to Cape Town. See Noel’s speech that he gave at the LifeLine Southern Africa annual general meeting in Cape Town at the end of October. He keeps the memory alive of all those people who were there at the outset, who started the work that has made LifeLine Western Cape (which started out as LifeLine Cape Town) what it is today.
And thinking of LifeLine’s continuous service, and the fact that we remain open and operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, please read about a group of our wonderful volunteer counsellors who will be working on the counselling lines over the Christmas period. You will see something of the heart that each of these counsellors has for the work of LifeLine, as well as for the people who call in. We are always grateful to have such wonderful people representing LifeLine – not only at this stressful and difficult time, but throughout the year, as well.
You will also read some international news; you will read about Childline Western Cape’s Children’s Day events, about World AIDS Day 2008, about laughter yoga and some industry news that might be of interest.
So, happy birthday LifeLine Western Cape! May the organisation continue to offer relevant services to individuals and communities for many years to come. And, as the year draws to a close, may I take this opportunity to wish you and your families every blessing of health, joy and fulfillment in a world that is ever-changing.
Enjoy reading Find Your Voice Summer 2008 2009, and remember that whatever is on your mind during this quarter of the year, feel free to call us. And until the next edition of Find Your Voice, go well, keep safe and keep talking. We’re still listening.
Warm regards
Ruth Martin
ruth@lifelinewc.org.za
Remember that whatever is on your mind and needing to be spoken about, call LifeLine. We’re hear to listen, any time of night or day. Call LifeLine on 021 461 1111 or 0861 322 322 or Childline on 08000 55 555 or 021 461 111
|
LifeLine/Childline Western Cape was established in Cape Town in 1968 and has, since then, been providing ongoing telephone counselling, offering immediacy and an intimate means of communication to those needing to talk. The need for an organisation committed to the prevention of child abuse became increasingly apparent and in 1995 Childline became a division of LifeLine Western Cape. On average, the crisis lines receive around 4,500 calls per month.
With offices in Cape Town, Bishop Lavis, Guguletu, Khayelitsha, Mitchell’s Plain, Wynberg, Athlone and Eerste River, LifeLine/Childline Western Cape has grown considerably and now employs around 100 members of staff. The majority of the organisation's staff members work in the area of HIV/AIDS lay counselling in the clinics and day hospitals in Khayelitsha.
Cape Town office: 021 461 1113
Bishop Lavis office: 021 934 3027
Guguletu office: 021 633 3458
Khayelitsha office: 021 361 9197
Mitchell’s Plain office: 021 372 5591
Wynberg (Childline) office: 021 762 8198
Athlone (youth development) office: 021 638 0913
Eerste River (youth development) office: 021 904 0792
LifeLine/Childline Western Cape
56 Roeland Street, Cape Town 8001
Tel: +27 21 461 1113
Fax: +27 21 461 6400
Email: info@lifelinewc.org.za
Website: www.lifelinewc.org.za
002-837 NPO
Section 18A/PBO Status : 18/11/13/1085 |
