Teen Lifeline Inc

Teen Lifeline is a great resource for teens and many others who might need it. I also find it beneficial for myself.

I've been volunteering for about a year now and it has been amazing! Teen Lifeline prepares every volunteer in navigating through those tough conversations with peers as well as equipping themselves with this very important skill set. Volunteering here has been life changing and has been filed with memories I won't forget.

Teen Lifeline equips teens to assist peers in navigating life and death conversations that I, as an adult, feel uncomfortable with. It’s an honor to be volunteering for them and l am learning so much.

I've been supporting this organization since 2013 and have watched the positive impact Teen Lifeline has on the community and Arizona teens expand. Teen Lifeline is one of the best fiscally managed nonprofit organizations I've observed. The leadership is continually looking for ways to stretch donor dollars for maximum impact. Each year Teen Lifeline releases an annual report reflecting the value-add of the hours invested by teens to answer crisis calls and texts from youth - covering issues from "I don't know how to tell my parents I flunked a test," to "I don't want to be here anymore." Check out the 2023 data on Teen Lifeline's website to learn more.

Having been personally affected by the death of an Arizona teen by suicide, I can affirm that Arizona teen lives are saved by the incredible training, volunteering, and community investment Teen Lifeline makes in Arizona youth.

I volunteered with Teen Lifeline when I was in high school more than three decades ago. I loved my experience. TLL taught me, then a teen, so much about how to talk to my peers who were in (often times fatal) distress. It carried me through my college psychology degree, my master's degree in Counseling Psychology, and my law practice, through which I've mediated family disputes and handled domestic violence matters for two decades. I frequently refer back to my TLL training, experience, and high-quality mentorship for ideas about how to handle my present-day legal cases.

Volunteering with Teen Lifeline has been a life-changing experience. I have made so many connections here and have witnessed first-hand the life-saving work of this organization. Teen Lifeline creates direct connections of hope for teens, families, schools, and communities through the peer-to-peer crisis hotline for teens and through the immense amount of community outreach they engage in. Visiting schools, events, summits, and conferences, Teen Lifeline educates many about suicide and what one can do to help someone who is having thoughts of suicide.

As a dedicated community advocate and partner, I have had the privilege of working closely with Teen Lifeline, a remarkable nonprofit organization that is making a profound impact on the lives of Arizona’s youth. Their mission—to provide a safe, confidential place for teens to reach out for help—addresses a critical need in our community. Teen Lifeline's focus on preventing teen suicide, while offering hope and encouragement to young people in their most vulnerable moments, is invaluable to the families and individuals they serve.

Teen Lifeline stands out not only because of its vital mission but also due to the incredible professionalism and expertise of its Executive leadership. The leadership team at Teen Lifeline works to ensure that their services remain accessible and impactful. They bring a high level of competency and compassion, crafting innovative, evidence-based programs that reach teens through their hotline, peer counseling, and outreach efforts.

I am proud to support Teen Lifeline and witness firsthand the meaningful work they are doing. They are a shining example of how focused, compassionate leadership can foster resilience and hope in the face of mental health challenges.

I volunteered at Teen Lifeline for over two years in the 1990s, which set me on my path to becoming a psychologist. As both a parent and a psychology professor, I appreciate the incredible service that Teen Lifeline provides. We have seen a spike in the mental health needs of our young people, and being able to connect with peer counselors and, through them, a variety of resources is essential. I am thankful that Teen Lifeline continues to serve our community.

This organization has helped me in many ways! I am able to feel secure in my abilities to help others thanks to their fantastic training. Teen Lifeline helps me feel safe and cared about.

Having children in high school, I see the amazing things Teen Lifeline is doing to make sure every child knows they have someone to talk to. When they visited my daughters school, they were so kind, informative, and really listened to any student that walked up to them. The resources and tools they provide to the students are life saving.

Teen Lifeline is a well run organization with dedicated team members who are will to go above and beyond to help teens in crisis!

A great non-profit doing amazing things. I really agree with their message. Teens these days really need this kind of supports.

My experience with Teen Lifeline has been nothing short of life changing. Although this organization focuses on preventing suicide in the teen population, I have learned so much to apply to anyone, of any age, in need of the type of support that Teen Lifeline gives; this is invaluable. They are a pillar of the local Phoenix community bringing together people of disparate professions and backgrounds looking to make a difference. This organization's magnetism radiates from its leadership, to its peer counselors inevitably drawing more people into its fold and empowering Teen Lifeline to do more and more good year after year.

Teen Lifeline is an invaluable resource to teens and those that support them in our community. The impact that they have can be easily seen and we know exactly where our donations help them further their mission. It’s amazing to see the development of training, reach and hours available over the years. Anyone can feel good about supporting these efforts.

Teen Lifeline provides excellent services across every single one of their programs. Their prevention services impact the lives of thousands of people across Arizona and their hotline is thoughtful, thorough, and saves lives of countless teens. They are a staple of what hope looks like in Arizona and are leaders in the suicide prevention field.

I have interned at Teen Lifeline and have learned many skills to apply within my Social Work Career! I have been able to learn how to actively listen in order to support teens on the line and provide prevention education to different schools in Arizona! Great resource to have for any teen needing support!

Teen Lifeline was easily one of the most formative experiences of my life and there is no question I would not be the person I am today without it. I'd like to think it taught me not only how to be a better listener, but a better friend, son, partner, and person altogether. The amazing work helping other teens and friendships formed will always stay with me throughout my life. Thank you Michelle for all that you have done, and everyone past, present, and future who continues to make it the outstanding organization and service it is.

Teen Lifeline is an absolutley amazing resource! As a volunteer for almost 2 years, it's extremely rewarding to be able to support teens and the community in this way. The information and skills I've learned have had such a positive impact on my life, and beyond that, the lives of everyone I connect with as well!

Teen Lifeline has made an impact on the lives of so many children. I have seen with my own eyes, lives being saved.

Teen Lifeline is a great organization that provides Telephonic and text message services to teens in Arizona. They also provide support training to teens. Teen Lifeline is a great organization that provides a necessary service to the community and is staffed by volunteer peers. Not only does the organization take care of anyone that calls or texts but also builds a community of staff. I have seen how the volunteers form a community and take care of their needs along with those in the community.

Our son, who suffers from mental health issues has been arrested multiple times. Each time, as a family we tried to invoke the Baker Act to ensure he received the medical treatment he needed. However, we were repeatedly told that he didn't meet the criteria. Instead of receiving the necessary medical care, our son found himself incarcerated.
This is not just our family's story, it's a nationwide issue affecting countless families dealing with loved ones who suffer from mental health illness. According to Mental Health America (MHA), over 1.8 million people with mental illnesses are incarcerated each year in the United States alone. After countless hours of research, we found that this is happening due to law enforcement official's lack of funding for education and training on mental health illness.
We need change now! We must advocate for laws that prioritize education, training, and compassion when dealing with mental illness. Our loved ones should be treated by healthcare professionals who can provide the appropriate care for our citizens, as well as educated and trained law enforcement officials.
We are working with lawmakers to enact legislation that gives families more rights regarding their mentally ill loved ones' interactions with law enforcement agencies and legal systems. This includes providing clear guidelines on how law enforcement should respond when called out for a citizen suffering from a mental health crisis.
Let's work together towards creating a society where those struggling with mental health issues are treated humanely and receive proper care instead of facing incarceration.

Please sign this petition today and help us bring about this much-needed change!

Theresa Baker and George Oliver, III

https://chng.it/SNVqrW9Rz7

The coping skills I learned as a volunteer in high school are ones that have come up again and again to help me throughout my life. Not only have the things I learned from volunteering helped me get through my own difficult times; these skills made me a capable helper for others too.

Teen Lifeline is the real deal! Strong executive leadership, clear strategy, a dedicated board, and a loyal and compassionate staff. Their services and youth programs are exactly what is needed to educate the community and provide much-needed resources to teens during these complicated times. Bravo!

TLL is an amazing organization that is able to help teens on their level, giving support only teens can give through a mutual connection.

Their impact and dedication to the Arizona teen community is unmatched by any other suicide prevention resource available to all teens. Additionally, their approach gives parents, teachers, and caregivers perspective on how teens best receive help while in crisis.

Teen Lifeline was introduced to me in High School. I was going through some personal hard ships and needed to join something extracurricular. There entered Teen Lifeline. I started with their in depth training that all teens need to become a part of their "peer counselors". The training taught such amazing life skills that I have carried with me throughout my entire life. As someone who has unfortunately had many friends in a suicidal state, the skills I learned with T.L. gave me the tools I needed to help me with giving proper advice and guidance. I have continued to volunteer for T.L. throughout most of my adult life and continue the message of "you're not alone". Teen Lifeline can make the difference of life and death. It's an essential non-profit and I know it's continued growth will continue changing the lives of those in need.

I have been a donor for many years to this nonprofit. I love the peer-to-peer concept and am impressed by the level of commitment on the part of the staff, volunteers, and Board. I have been touched by suicide in my own life and know that this organization is making a real difference!

Teen Lifeline is an exceptional organization that provides life saving support to Arizona's children in crisis, supports positive mental health development in Arizona youth, and serves the education community through Suicide Prevention advocacy and professional development for Arizona educators. As a parent, high school guidance counselor, school administrator, and board member, I have witnessed and experienced the impact of Teen Lifeline on children and schools throughout Arizona for over three decades. You will not find a more talented group of dedicated professionals and volunteers than those involved with Teen Lifeline!

This non-profit is an incredible resource for teens that are struggling. The organization is managed by an incredible team with years of expertise in this field and has a remarkable group of volunteers that is trained in helping and supporting their peers. I am so happy to be associated with this amazing organization.

Have worked closely with Teen Lifeline to define their organizational Theory of Change, including deepening data tracking and clarity around reporting metrics. Always impressed by the organization’s dedication to continuous learning and improvement geared toward strengthening client outcomes!

As a volunteer at Teen Lifeline, I truly appreciate the environment here and critical work this organization does for teenagers and youth in Arizona.

I have been volunteering with Teen Lifeline for nearly a year and have always been shown kindness and support from all members of the team. I enjoy volunteering with Teen Lifeline because it provides me the opportunity to give back to my community and offer support to fellow teens in need. Over the past year, I have learned so much about being a supportive person and how to offer help to others in crisis. Teen Lifeline is an amazing organization for both the community and its volunteers!

I love volunteering here and answering phone calls from other teens like me! Teen Lifeline feels like a second home and I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made and opportunities I’ve had to help other people.

I have had nothing but great experiences with Teen Lifeline. I have loved being a volunteer and plan on staying for a long time. Everyone is very supportive and I love the work that is being done here!

I have been a volunteer at Teen Lifeline for a year and a half now and I can honestly say that this place is my home. Not only is it a safe place for all of our callers, but it is a safe place for the volunteers as well. At Teen Lifeline, the volunteers have a chance to not only be ourselves, but also we are given an opportunity to figure out who we are away from the places where we have been expected to be a certain person. The callers are able to have a non-judgmental place to share their feelings and worries and the volunteers are given a place to shine while listening and really making a difference in a teen's life. I love Teen Lifeline and couldn't imagine my life without it!

I've been a volunteer at Teen Lifeline for years now. It has been one of the best experiences of my life. The atmosphere is welcoming and it's like a second home.

I had the pleasure of speaking to a couple members to learn more about teen lifeline and you can hear it in their voice how much this organization means to them. The organization is making a big impact in these teens life and I'm so grateful for all the volunteers that make it happen! Thank you teen lifeline!

I am a volunteer for teen lifeline and I have never found a space that I have felt more safe in. Teen lifeline is truly my home away from home and it’s honestly a great place for teens to reach out to(:

A fantastic organization with an important goal. I’ve been here a short time but I can see the huge impact Teenlifeline has on the community.

Teen Lifeline is a haven and place of refuge for both the teens who call the hotline in crisis and the peer counselors who volunteer their time to help others. At the base, there is already so much offered. The clinicians who run and supervise the programs are well experienced and prepared for any level of crisis that may call or arise with the peers. The peer counselors go through extensive training to ready them for the different situations they may encounter on the hotline. But deeper than that, the community created by the peers who volunteer is so supportive and especially necessary during this time in our world right now. I'm so thankful to have the opportunity be a part of Teen Lifeline

The peer counselors are incredible on the hotline and this organization has moved mountains with fostering community resiliency when it comes to suicide prevention.

I am a volunteer here and I think Teen Lifeline provides a great service to teens both in crisis and those who just want to talk.

My wife and I have been donating to Teen Lifeline for years. This is an amazing group of young adults full of passion, compassion and true desire to help fellow kids and teens. In this world of technology and less personal contact, these wonderful people volunteer their time not only to learn valuable skills but are ready to help a peer in trouble any time of the day or night, any day of the year. These are very special, loving and caring kids and their devotion deserves to be recognized. With five grandchildren and knowing how quickly the world is changing, this is an organization that is and will become even more important and that is why we will continue to help in the ways that we can. We admire, respect and congratulate everyone at Teen Lifeline for their incredible positive impact they have on so many. WELL DONE J & D

This organization is absolutely incredible. The mission is clear, the volunteers are passionate and the challenge is real: How to reduce teen suicide by 50% by 2030. Leadership keeps this goal in mind with every decision that is made and the growth of the organization is testament to the need locally (and nationally) for tools and resources. They are making real change when the stakes couldn't be greater. Grateful to be a part of this nonprofit.

I have the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors for Teen Lifeline and am able to see what an impressive impact this organization has on our youth and communities. The work Teen Lifeline does saves lives. In a time of uncertainty during this pandemic, the services provided by Teen Lifeline are providing our youth and teens a place to feel safe and heard. But Teen Lifeline is more than a hotline, the wrap around services provided to schools and our community lead to better outcomes and awareness. The leadership and staff at Teen Lifeline are heroes of this community and making our world a better place for it.

I've had the privilege to work alongside Teen Lifeline during my time at another Arizona Non-Profit. To this day, I'm blown away by their program and the determination to support Teens in need. Often times, I had wished our leadership team was as motivated to make positive change as Teen LifeLine. You see this incredible GRIT by how often you see them in the community. Whether attending school functions, community awareness events, or round table discussion. Their work and mentality are boots on the ground, working tirelessly to make an impact! It's not only about the funding but the comprehensive programming that can help teens in need. Way to go Teen Lifeline! Keep up the amazing work!

Teen Lifeline is a wonderful organization! My daughter will be a teenager soon, and I’m glad that there are places like this that she could reach out to if she feels like there’s nowhere else to turn.

Teen Lifeline has an amazing mission and clearly changes lives for the volunteers and the callers. I can't emphasize enough the importance of sharing this phone number with all teens so they'll have it when they need it!

Very caring staff who are working hard to support our struggling youth in meaningful and compassionate ways.

This organization is doing such great and needed work in our community. The administration is strategic and my inquiries are always answered timely and thoroughly,

Teen Lifeline is an incredible organization. They train teens to help their peers who reach out to them. They also provide education and other resources for suicide awareness. We're been donating to them for several years, after suicide unexpectedly invaded our lives.

Teen Lifeline is a remarkable important organization that is providing life saving services to the Arizona community. Their team of professionals, supported by incredible student volunteers have built an empathetic and committed team dedicated to decreasing the rate of teen suicide in Arizona. I've been lucky enough to be a part of Teen Lifeline for over a year now, and all of my initial impressions have been confirmed, and then some.

I donate to Teen Lifeline to say thank you for the wonderful training and life lessons you gave my daughter when she volunteered. She developed a lifelong skill set allowing her to continually help people in her community.

I’ve worked with Teen Lifeline since 2015, first as a trainee, then as a peer counselor, and now as a remote college peer, and I don’t know how to demonstrate how much this organization has impacted the community. It’s a wonderful place to work—the atmosphere is kind and our supervisors and co-counselors provide support (and often Guitar Hero battles) between calls—and a very necessary addition to the community, handling over 28,000 calls and texts in 2019 alone. Teen Lifeline is one of those places that, if you live in Arizona, has probably touched your life or your community in one way or another, through outreach, education, the peer training program, or helping someone you know.

My daughter volunteered for 2 years in high school, usually 2 6-hour shifts each week, and said it was a challenging, rewarding, and life-changing experience. She completed over 100 hours of training for certification, and I was amazed by both the thoroughness of the preparation and the way that the communication skills taught (listening, mirroring, echoing, and providing reassurance and open questions) transferred over into her outside life. Although the TL program is rigorous, its implementation has enough flexibility to adapt to changes in our community, such as an increase in texting over voice phone calls and the recent COVID-19 crisis. I have also been impressed by the breadth of Teen Lifeline's presence in the Valley. I know children at a variety of schools around Phoenix, and nearly all of them have the TL 1-800 number on the back of their school ID. For the last several years, we supported TL by attending their fundraising events, and we donated an auction item and $1000 last year.

I was first introduced to Teen Lifeline about 5 years ago when I worked as a direct support caregiver at my company. One of the clients I worked with was struggling and called the hotline and they were there for her when she needed someone her own age the most. My next encounter with Teen Lifeline came when I saw the number on my daughters school ID and she spoke positively about the times she heard her peers tell stories of how Teen Lifeline helped them with their struggles. I was so impressed that when I became an educator within my company I decided to get some personal insight direct from the source. One of the Social Workers there was very friendly and informative and was even willing to give a free training to my agency. My agency leaders and staff were very impressed by her passion and knowledge. After that experience I have been a strong advocate in what Teen Lifeline does and what they stand for. While obtaining my master's degree at ASU I was in need of an internship and I thought about all the wonderful community events and support Teen Lifeline provides so I spoke with the Clinical Director Nikki Kontz. Nikki so passionate, professional, and knowledgeable it astounds me. What made my internship experience even better was all of the wonderful people who work and volunteer at Teen Lifeline. Thank you so much for the care, education, support, and understanding you provide our youth and our community as a whole.

I was introduced to Teen Lifeline through a friend who served on their Board of directors and was generally aware of them in the healthcare community from a previous job.

I became more aware of their mission and values and eventually asked to join the board because of how impressed I am with the work they do.

Teen Lifeline is amazing and provides incredible education and resources for the great state of Arizona.

James Maguire - Board Member

Teen Lifeline is a great non-profit organization that is bringing in lots of change, support, education, prevention and awareness to the community about the different issues that teenagers face everyday. The staff and teen volunteers do excellent work on the hotline helping teens who are struggling.

Teen Lifelines is a nonprofit that is committed to saving lives and helping our teens possess a sense of connectedness and hope for the future. In high school I was a Teen Lifeline peer counselor and now 25+ years later I joined the Board of Directors. I am extremely passionate about this organization and the many contributions it's making to Arizona teens, adults and educators. Their outreach and education is unprecedented. From an organizational standpoint, Teen Lifeline's Executive Director Michelle Moorhead has been with the organization since the 1980's. Michelle is beyond committed, an excellent leader and ensures the business side of the organization is fiscally responsible, streamlined and efficient.

This organization is doing great work in the area. They are very active in the community, ran extremely well, and provide for an underserved demographic. I've supported them for over 2 years now and will continue to support the great work they're doing in the Phoenix and surrounding areas

Teen Lifeline is an amazing organization that works tirelessly to help and support at risk youth. The ability to offer round the clock hotline support to struggling teens can truly make a difference, and help to save a life.

Teen Lifeline is one of my personal favorite foundations. They make a great impact on our youth in a segment that is often overlooked. It is great to know there is a place out willing to listen because everyone wants to be heard.

I’m on the marketing committee and I have been involved with TLL for many years. An absolutely fantastic organization from the top down.

Teen Lifeline is doing invaluable work here in the Valley and around the State of Arizona to engage young people and make them feel valued and heard. I've had the opportunity to work closely with the volunteers and staff and can confidently say they put their hearts and souls into this life saving work every single day.

Teen Lifeline in Phoenix, Arizona provides best-in-category 24/7/365 crisis intervention and counseling services for the prevention of teen suicide. As a marketing communications professional with more than three decades of experience in working with dozens of organizations in the nonprofit healthcare and human services categories, I can say that Teen Lifeline sets the bar for integrity, transparency, dedication to fulfilling its mission and efficient use of its financial and human resources. The organization is uncompromising in its commitment to provide thorough training to its volunteer teenage peer counselors, and educational services to school officials and parents. Teen suicide is an issue that can be prevented, and Teen Lifeline is on the cutting edge of developing, delivering and maintaining services to make a profound and lasting impact in ways that save lives.

I have volunteered as a peer counselor for about 5 years and have loved every minute of it! Go Teen Lifeline!!

Teen Lifeline has been at the forefront of suicide prevention for over 33 years. Teen Lifeline's hotline for calls and texts is the front line in Arizona for teens in crisis. The teens who become the Peer Counselors for the hotline calls and texts are amazing, dedicated members of the community who save lives everyday. The prevention staff works tirelessly year-round presenting programs on resiliency, stress management, and suicide prevention. We'll never know how many teen lives have and will be saved because of Teen Lifeline's dedication to teen suicide prevention.

I volunteered for Teen Lifeline for 6 years from the time I was 17-23. It's truly amazing organization. The work that is done in the community is amazing. It's true impact. Hundreds of thousands of teens are reached every year by Teen Lifeline. A one-of-a-kind organization.

This organization provides a great environment for the volunteers to be successful. The built in programs create a positive atmosphere that is contagious.

This is a great place to be at all times and the atmosphere is amazing. The people here are incredible and the services offered are incredibly helpful.

I absolutley love the service that Teen Lifeline provides to the community. It is very much needed and they are truly saving lives!

Teen lifeline is a wonderful resource and all of the staff is incredibly helpful and insightful.

I'm continually amazed by the passion for helping teens in crisis that is demonstrated by the volunteers and staff at Teen Lifeline. I've personally provided the phone number to several teens and parents, and know they will be in good hands when they call.

I'm grateful such a service to help teens exists in our community.

I cannot thank or praise the crew at Teen Lifeline enough for the countless hours they have invested in our students and the countless more we have them booked for! Hands down an AMAZING RESOURCE!!!!!!!! Thank you guys! A very extra special thank you to Stephanie and Morgan for all they have done and continue to do! RMHS loves you!!!

I am a donor and former volunteer with this organization. Volunteering here as a teen led me down the path of psychology and mental health work. I valued each bit of time I spent at TLL. The supervisors were fantastic role models, being a peer counselor was incredibly empowering and life-changing. Teen Lifeline will always hold a special place in my heart because it truly changed my life. The people who run with organization are so committed to the cause and put their passion into their work with teens on outreach, volunteers, and the callers. They protocols are best practices based on sound evidence. They are a model for many other organizations. They're wonderful and deserve all the best!

This is a wonderful organization, run by amazing people, doing great work in the community. We need more organizations like Teen Lifeline.

Teen lifeline offers an array of helpful tools for teens that were not very prevelant when I was going to school. They are revolutionizing the way help is being offered! Would recommend this option to anyone that was willing to use it!

Teen Lifeline is amazing! They truly save lives. Each year that I have attended their Connections of Hope event, I am more and more impressed with the way they are changing lives.

I have had the honor of being involved with Teen Lifeline as board members since the late 1990s. Each year, I am more and more impressed with the amazing things this organization can accomplish with a small but mighty staff working on a non-profit budget.

However, most striking is seeing first hand the truly life-changing impact they have on the teens on both ends of the phone - those seeking help and the teens who volunteer their time and talents to become peer counselors.

This is an amazing charity not only because they save young lives, but the way they do it they grow young lives too. Very cost effective and they manage growth as social media has them expand their role beyond AZ. This is one of our top tier charities.

This non profit is doing amazing things and saving young teens and expanding across the country! Keep up the great work and inspiring others!

they're a true nonprofit bettering our community. i am very happy to donate to such a great cause.

Just one visit to this well run non-profit is all it took to be very impressed and I've been back a few more times. To listen to the teen volunteers is so inspiring. High school students who convey a wisdom and compassion that is extremely humbling. I simply love all this organization is about and accomplishes!!

I've been involved with Teen Lifeline for 2 years and during that time, I have seen how dedicated the staff, volunteers, donors and Board are to the mission. The organization continues to grow with metrics that directly impact teen suicide prevention. It's a pleasure to be part of a well-run non profit that has such tremendous support and the opportunity to widen our reach with the goal of saving lives.

As a current Board Member and former school administrator, I am thankful for this organization's commitment to excellence and passion to help our young people all across the state!

As a middle school principal, I have been very appreciative of the resources and support provided by Teen Lifeline. My school district partnered with Teen Lifeline by providing contact information to all our middle and high school students on the back of student ID's. By doing so, all of our students have access to Teen Lifeline resources and support at all times. It's impossible to know how many lives have been saved, but it's comforting to know our kids have the additional support and expertise available 24 hours a day.

This is a lifesaving organization! Absolutely amazing nonprofit.

My experiences with teen life line have been nothing short of inspiring. They are an amazing group of people from the volunteers to the full time employees. AZ is better for having them located here.

They do great work for the community and their preventative team is life changing.

Teen Lifeline helped me through a very tough time in life. I don't know where I would be without all of the kind and caring staff and volunteers.

Such a great organization with an amazing mission! This is the kind of organization were the impact is felt throughout the community and it's incredible to see how much they do to help our local teens. Keep rocking TL!

Teen Lifeline has been an amazing place to volunteer at, I have learned many life skills that are ultimately shaping my career path. As a college student that is aiming to work with teens and leadership development, and this organization has shaped many amazing student leaders that have and continually help save lives and support their peers.

Great organization & incredible team! Such a great cause.

We have been long-time donors of Teen Lifeline. We were first introduced to this amazing organization several years ago at their annual Connections of Hope Event and their Annual Charity Golf Tournament. We are continually amazed and impressed with the wonderful life changing and touching stories we learn about every time we attend an event. Without this vital, lifesaving organization and all it's volunteers and supporters our Arizona Youth would surely be impacted and so many senseless teen lives would be lost. Keep up the extraordinary work that is being done everyday!

I learned about Teen Lifeline through some good friends who are on the board. I went to my first event four years ago and was blown away by the stories and the impact that Teen Lifeline has had on many teenagers. I have been going to events and supporting Teen Lifeline ever since. Teen Lifeline is crucial for todays teenagers and I am thankful that a resource like Teen Lifeline exists!!

I have been a supporter of teen lifeline for several years now and involved in many of their fundraising events. I am continually amazed at the time and sincere dedication this organization gives to the thousands of teens hurting from depression, bullying, unstable home lives, the pain which leads to suicidal thoughts. Teen Lifeline is there with open ears, hearts, and door. Such a wonderful outlet for our community.

Teen Lifeline is provides a valuable services to the community through the training of teens to become peer counselors,fielding calls from teens to help them find answers to challenges they are facing and providing outreach to schools across the state. As a board member I have heard many positive stories about the impact Teen Lifeline has had on the lives of the young people touched by the organization. I am continually impressed by the work the staff and volunteers do in order to make a difference in teens lives.

Teen Lifeline is a wonderful organization doing amazing work. The many lives that have been saved by this organization speaks volumes. Many of the people working the phones are people who have been helped directly from this organization. That in and of itself is a testament to the great work they are doing.

Teen Lifeline is doing tremendous work in the community by assisting teens and their families who are dealing with depression, suicidal thoughts and related issues.
The teen (peer counselor) to teen (caller) hotline format is the key. It allows the callers to be candid in a way that they simply would not be when speaking to an adult.
I am extremely proud to contribute to this nonprofit because it addresses such a devastating issue and has demonstrated outstanding successes in providing struggling teens with connections of hope that save lives.

Teen Lifeline serves an important role in the Arizona community. In addition to the crisis hotline, they provide community outreach services for prevention, education, and postvention.

When a teen feels like they have no other options, TL gives them someone to talk to. The organization is one of only a handful in the country that has teen peer volunteers staffing a crisis hotline. The impact of this is tremendous as it allows Arizona teens to feel like they're talking with someone who relates to them, not "just an adult" who "doesn't understand" them.

Teen Lifeline is truly a special organization, providing invaluable experience to its volunteers and, even more importantly, saving the lives of Arizona teens on a regular basis.

I have been a proud board member of Teen Lifeline for a couple years. I was introduced to Teen Lifeline as a vendor and was given a tour by one of the teens. The professionalism and knowledge of the teenager giving the tour was so impressive and it was shocking to hear the statistics of teenagers that have considered suicide. Teen Lifeline’s peer counselors and staff genuinely care about the teens they are talking too and are committed to helping them get help with their problems.

I continue to be impressed with the community impact at Teen Lifeline and their community outreach. I attended a Mom Talk offering insights on how to communicate, available resources and the realities of being a parent. In addition, they were gracious enough to discuss ideas with our football team coaches on effective ideas for communicating with and supporting local student-athletes.

Teen Lifeline has been there for me, as an educator/prevention specialist who works with youth leaders and with youth at high risk for self-harm. I have worked with Teen lifeline for over 20 years in the Phoenix/Maricopa County area. They have responded to requests to help me train peer leaders in suicide prevention and intervention at two districts in the Maricopa County area. They have also assisted me and the schools, for which I have coordinated crisis response, when we have had the terrible experience of having student(s) complete suicide. Teen Lifeline has willingly worked with the administrators of schools to help them to create a recovery plan in the aftermath of completed suicide. They have also been willing to transport their peer leaders to present with me at depression and suicide prevention professional development training sessions and conferences. They have always responded positively to my requests for brochures and cards to hand out to staff and students and to set up a display table at conferences that I am coordinating. The directors, staff and peer leaders of Teen Lifeline are always professional and personal in their response to my needs and requests. I am thrilled that a former student that I worked with will be a BS social work intern at Teen Lifeline this school year and know that she will learn to "pay it forward".

The number of teens who feel alone and consider suicide is staggering. Teen Lifeline is an amazing organization that gives those teens hope and literally saves lives. We are so fortunate to have this well-run, caring resource!

It's rare to find a cause that truly makes a difference and saves people's lives. Teen Lifeline is that organization made up of tremendous individuals that come together as a team to win the fight against teen suicide. They touch my heart with the care, education and prevention provided. It's a great honor to have crossed paths and know they are there and always will be. Thank you for the great work you do and God Bless.

Teen lifeline provides a valuable service to schools and all teens who call the hotline as well as the volunteers. The teens that volunteer and go thru the training at Teen lifeline come away with lifelong skills knowing that they have made a difference in the lives of others.

I've had the honor of being involved in Teen Lifeline for many years and I have only had positive words and thoughts when I share their stories with others. Teen Lifeline's mission is important and impactful to those who are involved in any capacity. The stakeholders in their work are endless. Everyone from those who call in, teen counselors, employees, donor, educators, the list goes on and on.

Not only to I find my experience with TLL improves every year, I feel there staff handles events, conversations and outreach with the utmost class and professionalism.

I am proud to say that I will be a life-long donor.

I volunteered for teens lifeline when I was in high school and during those years as a peer counselor, I not only feel like I made ano impact on my community but I had fun there and gained life long friends. Teen Life Line does so much to help troubled youth and I am proud to have been part of such a wonderful organization!

What a great resource for our tweens, teens, and families today! It is a wonderful tool to be able to offer the community that I work in.
It is always beneficial to have information for parents, to help teens work through pressing issues, help create some needed coping skills, and know there is always someone for them to turn to.
I am looking forward to working with them again this school year.

This is such an amazing organization that truly helps give teens an outlet to get free help. Everyone is super friendly and professional. The outreach is fantastic and the results are life-changing. I volunteered when I was in high school 15 years ago and it really opened my eyes to the importance of being there for others. Fast forward to today, and this non-profit is thriving and making a significant difference to reducing Arizona's suicide rate.

Teen Lifeline was a great resource at our school this year. Their guides, hotline, community education and prevention services were valuable resources for staff, students, and parents. Knowing the warning signs and what one can do to help support a child in crisis helped us to identify and provide supports for children battling with depression.

I was introduced to Teen Lifeline in 2009 when I began working for a company that was involved as a donor. I was fortunate to be able to attend the annual fund-raiser event sitting at the company table and also playing in the annual golf tournament fund-raiser. Attending these events allowed me to gain an understanding of all the great things this organization does in the community. Coming from a financial background, I know Teen Lifeline spends their money wisely. If it doesn't make an impact in the community, it isn't spent. The peer counseling is what they do best. Teens want to talk to other teens about issues. They don't want to talk to adults. I know this first hand as I have a 14-year old daughter. Investing in a teen's future is a noble cause and Teen Lifeline is a class act. I always look forward to the annual fund-raising event where I'm reminded that my donations are saving lives. When you hear the stories of 5 or 6 teens who may not have been there that evening if it weren't for Teen Lifeline, you can't help but shed a few tears of joy. I strongly encourage you to take a look at this Organization and what they do. I know you will want to be a part of its mission.

Teen Lifeline Inc was truly a lifeline for my school! They were there for us to help support our staff, students, and families when we lost a student to suicide. They educated our staff on the signs to look for in students in order to provide early intervention and support in order to help prevent another tragedy. They worked with our students to help them identify the warning signs in themselves and their friends, and what to do if they see them. They also hosted a parent night to help parents understand their children and what they are feeling, as well as provide resources to the families. I have countless resourced that were provided by Teen Lifeline that I have handed out to parents and students when they are needed. I cannot express my appreciation enough for what the wonderful people that work at Teen Lifeline have done for my school! They have been there to support us and our community to help us help our children in so many ways!

Teen Lifeline has really had a positive impact on our school. They have always been more then willing to come and speak to our classes and help provide support when our students needed it. We had a student commit suicide last year, and we relied on TeenLifeline to be there as a support to all of our students as they went through that difficult time. Its so important to have an agency where you can have people talk to struggling teens.

Wonderful and caring people! A valuable asset to the community.

Teen Lifeline is wonderful. They have served our school and district for many years. They are our greatest asset in our community and serve our students at a moments notice.

Teen Lifeline has powerfully impacted my school and students for over 5 years! Through the educational expertise of Alicia Celis, I have learned to be a more effective listener and first responder for a student in crisis. Teen Lifeline has presented the Teen Depression/Suicide 50-minute curricula and each time 2-3 students come forward with serious emotional concerns that otherwise may have gone unresolved. For example, a 9th Grade student broke down in tears and confessed that she had been using an unprescribed substance to self medicate because she was in an abusive relationship. She received the supportive counseling that she needed and later stated that "the Teen Lifeline presentation saved my life." That particular student went on to become a Teen Lifeline Hotline Volunteer and is currently studying psychology at Arizona State University. I am impressed and very thankful for the Teen Lifeline Organization and the positive impact it has on our school community.

Alicia at Teen Lifeline has gone above and beyond to support and educate students at our school in Mesa, Arizona. She has dedicated countless days and hours to present to our students and we continue to receive positive feedback from students, staff, and families in our community. The teen support line that Teen Lifeline provides has proved to be a valuable resource to our student population. I would highly recommend that more high schools partner with Teen Lifeline and educate their students about suicide prevention.

Being in a new state, knowing nobody, being homeschooled, and living your life alone for over a year was an extremely difficult thing I had to go through. I felt completely alone, but then I found Teen Lifeline. I not only now get to help others, but I was able to help myself. When I first started, I was lonely, quiet, and scared. Teen Lifeline helped me break out of my shell and become the person I am today. Now, I'm as happy as I've ever been, surrounded by amazing people that I can call my friends. Not only that, but every single day I get to make a change. I get to be there for others and give them the help, support, and confidence that I wish I had gotten. Not a day goes by where I don't think about how lucky I am to have found such an incredible place.

Two years ago I had no idea what a coping skill was and that having one could save a life. Teen Lifeline is a place where I can be myself in a room full of teenagers who are just as much misfits in their worlds as I am in mine. I leave school every day feeling as if I haven't made a difference in anyone's lives. I transfer from class to class barely speaking because it seems as if my voice and opinions are not needed. After school I go to Teen Lifeline and find myself smiling and acting silly as if that is how I was acting all day. My personality has been transformed into a confident young adult since I joined the Teen Lifeline community. The welcoming atmosphere of the hotline brings out my true personality. I get to be the person I truly am. I love it here.

My son was a volunteer counselor in HS and he chose to study 'behavioral health' in college. This was about 8 yrs ago. I'm proud to say his experience at teen lifeline was a positive plus in his life to help others in need❤️

As a new Board Member for Teen Lifeline, I'm impressed with the organizational commitment to teen suicide prevention. The leadership team is visionary, caring, and committed to reaching more teens with the message of hope through peer to peer hotline support. The agency is lean, efficient, and transparent with their resources. The Counselors and teen leaders are empowered to make a difference! As a public high school principal, I'm thrilled these resources are available to our young people!

Teen Lifeline is an inspiring life changing organization that strives to touch as many teens as possible. The staff and the trained Peer Counselors are among the most caring and compassionate people who give endlessly. Teen Lifeline provides resources to teens who feel like they have nothing or no one. Teen Lifeline spreads awareness and offers assistance to those in need, and to those who may need in the future. Knowing there is an organization like Teen Lifeline makes me feel hopeful for all who feel alone and are in crisis.

With the pressure and stress kids feel today, Teen Lifeline serves a vital role in our state and nation. The training and support they provide to their teen volunteers is outstanding and life changing. I have seen the services they provide educate parents about how to recognize critical signs, literally saving the lives of their children. Not only does Teen Lifeline help individuals who call the hot line, it also helps those who know and love teens whether they are parents, teachers, coaches or friends. I'm so grateful for Teen Lifeline!

My son volunteered as a peer counselor at Teen Lifeline during his high school years. Little did I know that his service there would serve him just as well during his tenure and now into his twenties. I know that he loved going there and helping other teens each week. He also made some wonderful friends with the other counselors and staff there. I saw the difference it made in his life to connect with other teens and know he was making a difference. I believe wholeheartedly in the organization and the work that it does each day to help the young people in our community.

I was a active volunteer for Teen Lifeline from my freshman year in High School (1994) till years after I graduated. It was such an amazing experience in my life. I started with the intentions of helping others, not realizing how much of a positive influence it would have on my own life! Learning communication and life skills I still use in my daily life over 21 years later! TLL is an amazing organiztion that has touched so many lives! I am so proud to have been a part of it!

This is a great organization dedicated to a great cause. I volunteered with them from 2006-2009 and it was a fantastic exprience all together. I would highly recommend them on either end, to teens calling in or twens looking to volunteer.

Teen Lifeline is such a fantastic program. Not only does it help teens who call in, there are parent and community resources as well. Peers who work the phone lines learn invaluable skills that translate outside of the Teen Lifeline environment, encouraging communication that is effective and meaningful.

Teen Lifeline serves an important role in the Phoenix community and beyond. Through the work of experienced employees and well-trained teen counselors, they provide support to teens in crisis. The teen years can be challenging and parents can't always help. Peer-to-peer counseling has proven to be very effective. The goal of Teen Lifeline is to be a resource for every teen that needs help. Their outreach program is also a very effective way of increasing awareness of this valuable resource. Great work is being done by this organization!

I learned about Teen Lifeline in 2013, much later than I wish I would have because I think this organization would have done wonders for me when I was a teen and struggling with depression. It would have been nice knowing I could have called and spoken to someone my age sympathetic to what I was going through. What they do at Teen Lifeline is important: it saves lives and their presence needs to be more widespread and well-known. I made it out of my teens thankfully, but somewhere, right now, a teen is struggling and this place is there to help them.

Teen lifeline is absolutely fantastic! They do great work that is crucial to the betterment of today's youth. Teen lifeline is dedicated to providing a service that no one else provides. Great people. Great work. Great organizing.

Teen Lifeline is a truly amazing and life-changing organization. I have been a Peer Counselor for more than a year and have learned more than I could ever have dreamed about working with other people, talking and listening effectively, and most of all, I have learned a lot about myself. Teen Lifeline is such a gift both to the teens who call the hotline and those who pick up the phone on the other end! It is my place to come and share the difficult things going on in my life, as well as a lifeline for teens out there who do feel alone; the hotline can be their connection to hope and many times even saves lives. I am so grateful for Teen Lifeline and the important role they play in their community.

I have been a volunteer at Teen Lifeline for almost a year and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Teen Lifeline is an amazing organization that reaches out to teens who don't feel like they have anything to hold onto. It amazes me each time I see how many calls Teen Lifeline has taken, how many people it has helped. Volunteering at Teen Lifeline gave me a sense of what it means to be a person and what it means to help another. In addition to this, the environment at Teen Lifeline is a loving one full of caring, considerate people.

I have been involved with Teen Lifeline for 10 years. Thru all of those years, I've played a role in working on their annual major fund raising event as a paid consultant. After the first year or two, it was imperative that I take on a new role ... that of a donor. The organization was grass-roots, in the truest and stellar sense of the word. The board members were committed and worked in whatever role was needed to make the organization thrive. As the years passed, the support from the community grew and the scope of the work of Teen Lifeline was expanded to be more wide-spread, efficient, and life-changing. The chance to meet some of the young people that donate their time, to be trained and then be peer counselors, is enriching and rewarding to me.... these are our leaders of tomorrow and they are learning the attributes that will make them prosperous members of our community that know the meaning of "giving back." I've been honored to be part of the Teen Lifeline 'extended family' and will continue for as long as they will have me!!!

What a gift during my teenage years to have learned to actively listen, to ask questions in difficult situations, and to feel empowered by helping other teens. Those few years in high school, volunteering at Teen Lifeline as a Peer Counselor, prepared me for nearly everything that came next in life. I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of such a transformative organization; one that impacts so many lives and changed mine. My time as a volunteer provided me with skills, that have helped me build relationships and resolve conflicts, improving nearly every aspect of my life and that I use every day. Because of my experience with Teen Lifeline, I know that connecting with another person begins with really listening to them and that inaction can cost someone their life.

Teen Lifeline is an amazing organizations letting teens, both the ones that call the hotline and volunteer here, find ways to cope with their problems in a good, healthy, and, sometimes, new way. Through this organization I have been able to learn a lot about the person that I am, why I am that way, and the person that I want to be. I have learned many skills that I know I wouldn't have learned otherwise, or at least not at this young age. Teen Lifeline, additionally, is able to create a real, direct change in the community. We are able to reach directly into the homes of teens in crisis and help them on a one-on-one basis. I don't think my life, and the lives of thousands of teens throughout this organization's history, simply wouldn't be the same.

In 2012, Jennifer Collins and I co-chaired the Teen Lifeline Connections to Hope gala, and were so pleased to tell the story of this great organization. What we found was a fantastic, knowledgable, committed executive director with great vision and every day common sense. We meet incredible teens who took the time to learn skills that ultimately save lives on the phone. We found an organization that is run on a shoe-string providing world-class service and support. It was a pleasure to raise money for Teen Lifeline as we know how the money is spent...prudently and strategically. Additionally, we have seen first hand the impact this organization has had in the community with teen that we know and teens we'll never meet. They are all the same in our eyes and we are grateful that Teen Lifeline is in our community serving our teems who deserve a listening ear and strategies for coping for life's challenges. Thank you Teen Lifeline!

It is very rewarding to support such an effective organization. By training teen counselors to help teens in crisis, Teen Lifeline saves lives and enables teens to become productive members of society. Teen Lifeline's focus is on serving teens who call them in crisis. However, there is a wonderful element to fulfilling this mission - the teen/peer counselors receive such valuable education and training and have a motivating environment in which to perform service to others, so everyone associated with this organization wins.

I volunteered at Teen Life Line from 1999 to 2003. During my four years there I had come to understand a lot about myself and life. I learned what it was to be there for others, to be there for people I have never meet and did not know, to be there for myself, and it became one of my greatest personal triumphs!! While many will argue that the program greatly benefits the people to who may call the line, it also benefits the volunteers as well. In truth, the benefits of the program are a two way street. I can’t speak for the other volunteers, but for myself, I suffered from the same afflictions (depression, confusion, drug abuse, and suicidal thoughts) as some of the callers. It meant everything to me knowing that I wasn’t alone in the world and that I can do more than stand quietly by while others like myself were suffering. My fellow volunteers and staff members accepted me and showed me love from the first day I arrived, and they continue to do so today. During my time there I not only learned to love myself and all that I am but I learned to love the world around me. Teen Life Line made me a better man! If I could, I would still be there volunteering! Teen Life Line became (and still is) the center of my personal perception and ideology of what I perceived to be good and positive in this world.

I have worked with Teen Life Line (TLL), since its inception in 1986. Over the past 28 years TLL has been a leader in suicide prevention. Having both a "Warm" line and a "Hot" line manned by youth and young adults and supervised by Master's Level counselors requires extensive and high quality training. The training provided to the peer counselors is ongoing and addresses the most critical elements of intervention. It meets and exceeds the Standards of Care for accreditation with the American Association of Suicidology. As a propfessional counselor with 40 years experience in the helping profession, I have referred countless teens to TLL for support as well as those interested in becoming a peer counselor. The longevity of the staff and peer counselors working at TLL is a tribute to the passion, professionalism, and dedication to helping youth survive and thrive. Teens throughout the entire state of Arizona have been helped by this excellent organization.

I volunteered at TLL in high school (1990s) and it was an important, formative experience for me. The organization leaders and volunteers trained me in foundational counseling and listening skills that were useful then and have continued to be useful in my life and career. As a young person interested in pursuing a helping profession, my volunteer experiences at TLL gave me the opportunity to get my feet wet in a way that was safe, well-supervised, and extremely rewarding. The volunteer community was warm, inviting, and supportive - it also allowed me to get involved with a group of peers and role model adults that were outside of my neighborhood/school, which was an important, broadening experience. The opportunities for leadership and community involvement outside of the hotline were also valuable. Since my time at TLL, I graduated college with a bachelors in Psychology and Spanish, and I earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology and currently work as a Clinical Psychologist. My experiences volunteering at TLL in high school were my first foray in this field, and incredibly influential and important.

I have been a volunteer at TLL for the last several months and it has been one the most rewarding times of life. It has been a joy to get to know everyone here as well as helping my peers. It is amazing to see how much our organization helps people. I have enjoyed my time here and hope to be here for a very long time.

This is a great organization! The teens are passionate about helping other teens. Many of the volunteers have benefited from the hotline in the past and love having the chance to return the favor. The teens take the work to heart and balance the seriousness of the hotline with fun and comraderie among their fellow volunteers. The supervisors make this a safe and inviting place for all.

I volunteered with TLL for a little over two years in high school. The experience, although some may think short, was invaluable to me. The training for volunteers educates them to become an active listener. This skill is used by probably 99% of people almost everyday. To learn how to be an active listener at such a young age was very important. It has helped me build lasting and meaningful relationships. I went on to become a veterinarian after finishing high school and undergrad. One of the most important things that my training and experience at TLL gave me has allowed me to become an excellent veterinarian. I am able to communicate with my clients extremely well. I am also able to use my skills to help them through very difficult times in their lives (something they don't teach you in school). I feel that my time volunteering also helped me become more well-rounded. It really opened my eyes to what other peers in my city were going through. It made me appreciate everything I had. I also made great friends and always enjoyed being with the other volunteers!

Teen Lifeline is an amazing organization that seeks to help all people, even the volunteers! I have been volunteering at the hot line for a couple of years and just as us peers are here for the callers and their issues, the hotline is their for us and our issues as well and it is like a family. The organization cares about all people and wants to help them find better coping and better decision making skills.

Teen Lifeline is such a fun place to volunteer. Everyone treats you like they have known you forever! All the adults and teens who work and volunteer here are so close and they really care about each person who calls in. For callers it is a good place to call if you just want to vent. We want to listen and we really do care and want to here what you have to say.

TLL is my FAVORITE place to volunteer!!! I wish I would of heard about it sooner! This organization is full of such wonderful, caring people that really form a sort of family. When I moved out of town I missed my friends and mentors here as much as my parents! The good that Teen Lifeline does is inspiring. It has been such a joy to watch it grow over 6 years and stay as involved as possible.

Michelle Moorhead, Executive Director of Teen Lifeline in Phoenix is an expert in the non-profit arena. Her ability to transcend knowledge regarding non-profit management has helped to develop and fine-tune many individuals into effective leaders.

As a teen or "young adult", there aren't many opportunities to actually impact someones life to the point where you might be the deciding factor of whether they take their life or not. Teen LIfeline is one of the things, in my 16 year career, that I am most proud of, and that i classify as one of the sole things that has changed not only my perspective, but my life overall. Going into this organization, I thought that i would be getting to make direct, meaningful impact on the lives of others, something that i believe is important when getting involved with a volunteer group, but in reality I have gotten so much more than that out of this experience. At Teen Lifeline, you not only learn how to talk to people in a way that will help them, but you are exposed to one of the most amazing environments. The kids that volunteer here offer unending support and you learn things about yourself that you never even knew, and tell people things that you never felt you would be able to tell anyone. It is a place that feels like home, and one that i will always consider a second home. This is an organization that has changed not only the lives of thousands of callers, but volunteers as well. Volunteering here makes teens, who often are told that their opinions don't matter, feel empowered. Overall, i would recommend this organization to anyone that is considering volunteer work. Teen Lifeline provides an amazing opportunity to the youth of Arizona, one that i would classify as non-other than life changing.

This is a great place!!! It's like a family here and every one knows every one. I am happy to be volunteering here and helping lots. Everybody works to their fullest potential to keep Teen Lifeline running. I feel part of this family and I have met a lot of new people. It has been a true blessing to be part of this great organization!

Teen Lifeline is an incredible organization that I have had the profound honor to volunteer at for the past two years. It is literally a life saving organization that reaches over 35,000 people per year and gives these people a place to call if they ever need help. In my two years with the organization I have seen why the peer to peer concept that we use on the hotline is so incredible and can make such a difference to our callers. This organization has helped to form me into who I am today by exposing me to multiple groups of people that I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise. I constantly try to inform others about how amazing our services are so that they too can get involved and experience why we are so unique and so necessary to the community. It has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I hope to always be a part of the organization.

Teen LIfeline is an eye-opening, life-saving organization that helps teenagers through difficult times. It serves as a helpful reminder that life will get better and that all problems can be worked through. The staff and personal put 110% into helping others. This is truly a wonderful group and something all teenagers should know about. Life dishes many unfair road blocks, and it's important to know that you are not alone and that problems can be solved. Teen Lifeline shares choices and options with those who are struggling. More than anything, Teen Lifeline lends an ear to listen and talk through the issues.

The peer to peer concept, where teens talk to teens, makes Teen Lifeline a unique and outstanding organization tackling the painful issue of teenage suicide.
Offering an opportunity to talk, a moment where someone listens who may have the right distance to the problems a caller feels he cannot stand anymore, can be decisive for a decision about life and death.
The teens engaged in Teen Lifeline are highly committed to the mission and deliver outstanding support to their unknown peers on the other line of the phone.

Communities cannot tolerate the issue of teenage suicide inside their boundaries. Supporting the mission of Teen Lifeline appears to be a no brainer for community leaders in private and public sector.

I have been a part of this organization for two and a half years, and started out when I was a junior in high school. I am now a sophomore in college and Teen Lifeline has only made my life better as the years have gone by. So many lives of teenage callers can change for the better every year by receiving counseling from well trained teenage volunteers, as well as the lives of the volunteers themselves. This organization is filled with caring professionals that provide a nurturing and supportive environment for teens who really want to make a difference.

I first learned about Teen Lifeline through a customer who was involved as an Advisory Board member and invited me to attend the organization's Crystal Ball event. While I was not able to attend, I took the opportunity to research Teen Lifeline and ultimately wanted to learn more. After taking a tour of the facility and meeting some of the passionate employees and teen volunteers, I ultimately decided that Teen Lifeline was a group I wanted to get involved with. It is an organization that tackles an extremely tough issue (teen suicide) that has plagued the state of Arizona at an alarming rate. By educating and empowering teens to make sound decisions, Teen Lifeline is truly saving the lives of Arizona's teens. In addition, the organization runs extremely lean and I feel that the infrastructure allows Board Members to be actively involved and influential in how the organization operates.

Teen Lifeline is an organization I learned about through their Fundraising Coordinator, who has shared the history and mission of the program with me. They directly address the tragedy of teen suicide in Arizona by running a telephone hotline for any teens in Az (or the country, because they receive overflow calls), who are experiencing any concerns relating to suicidal thoughts, abuse, incest, family issues, or personal or mental health concerns. When I saw a documentary film called Bullied Into Silence, I heard even more about Teen Lifeline's high school and college students who volunteer their time to staff the hotline. They go through rigorous training, paid for by donations, to become confident and capable on the hotline. From what I've heard from staff, they are amazing people who have directly led to saving lives. Not only do they operate a hotline, but Teen Lifeline hosts events and performs outreach in schools to educate teachers, students, and parents about suicide.

Teen Lifeline not only gives support to callers but is also a great support system for the volunteers and staff. I have been with the TLL family for only six months, and I have made great friends and have learned so much about myself and how to be a better friend. After completing over 70+ hours of training I learned many skills to help communication not only between myself and the callers but also with myself and friends or family. My experience at TLL is almost indescribable. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to make a difference in others lives or even their own.

I began volunteering for Teen LIfeline when I was 15 years old as a peer counselor. Like many young persons, I experienced a volatile home and social life; and Teen Lifeline provided me with a safe place where I could be myself and be surrounded by positive role models (the supervisors/staff and older peer counselors) and find a niche within a social environment of my peers. Aside from this, Teen Lifeline provided a place where I could help others and feel that I could make a difference just by listening to a caller. I grew up at Teen Lifeline, and learned so much from my time there. It molded me into a person with greater compassion, understanding, openness to the experiences of others, and the understanding that I have a responsibility to create positive change in my community.

I was a board member from 2001 to 2007. Teen Lifeline is unique in that it provides the teen volunteers with life-changing skills that they can share with their peers that call in for help. Teen Lifeline touches kids and their families at the deepest level. The organization reaches people with no regard for economic status, lifestyle choices or race. What an awesome organization!

I became involved with Teen Lifeline when I was 15 years old as a peer counselor and 20 years later I still regularly use the skills I learned. I went on to become an adult volunteer and then joined the staff and will always cherish the relationships I made and the teens I worked with. It always amazed me how much this program benefits not only the teens that call or hear a presentation through the outreach program but the tremendous impact that the program has on those kids that actually volunteer. It changed the course of my life and I know first had the impacts it has had on others. Keep up the amazing work!

I've been a part of Teen Lifeline for over 10 years and have experienced countless times the benefits of the hotline to the teens who call and the life skills training that the peer counselors receive. The staff at Teen Lifeline are among the most committed I've seen at any non-profit and their clinical skills are superior

I feel great giving to an organization staffed by teen volunteers helping to make such a meaningful impact with other teenagers in times of crises.

I have supported various non profits over the years both with time and donations. Teen lifeline sticks out as one of the best. My time and training spent as a peer counselor helped me to become the person I am today. The services provided are truly life saving to the youth of Arizona. One could not ask for a better group of staff at this exceptional organization.

I volunteered at Teen Lifeline fifteen years ago and I can say with total conviction that this experience changed my life for the better. As a teenager, I felt relatively invisible and uninspired. This led to a general sense of angst. After finding Teen Lifeline, I learned new skills and discovered a way to help others. For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of self-worth. Over the next five years in which I volunteered, my confidence grew through this enriching avenue. Today, I'm a happy and well-adjusted adult who is living a very satisfying life. I know I could not have achieved this level of personal success without my experiences as a volunteer at Teen Lifeline so many years ago.

One of my former colleagues recently took a position with Teen Lifeline in Phoenix. We had worked together with other non-profit organizations on environmental and LGBT equality campaigns in Arizona, raising money and educating the public. Since he started with Teen Lifeline, I've heard nothing but incredible things about the organization. I think what impresses me the most is their commitment to training peer volunteers to handle incoming calls. These high school students volunteer their time and energy to be trained to answer suicide calls - what a way to spend your free time at age 16! And they keep coming back to answer those calls - because of the training they are able to get, the environment Teen Lifeline fosters around the office, and the tangible impact their work has everyday as they are there for their troubled peers. Keep up the good work!

I am writing this review of Teen Lifeline as I am personally very passionate about this organization and it is the very least I could do to ensure it’s continued success serving our community.

I am a former Teen Lifeline board member, adult volunteer and the parent of a youth Teen Lifeline counselor. I have had a relationship with Teen Lifeline for fifteen years. My son Anthony volunteered for the organization for 5 years. He became a youth volunteer at a young age and the relationships he built there have served as very strong foundations for his personal development. As I watched his developing passion for the organization and his emotional growth fueled by the staff and mentor councilors at Teen Lifeline, I knew I had to get involved. I personally struggled with severe depression as a teen and the work that was being done by this group tugged at my heart strings. As I volunteered as a fund raiser and parent, I formed great admiration for the staff councilors and the teens they were shaping.

I truly can say that the life skills that were taught to my son in order to strengthen him as a teen counselor, have in turn guided him through some very trying adolescent years and allowed him to always turn back to his Lifeline training.

The years I served as a board member were quite gratifying. I always felt that I was serving a true grass roots organization that was a vital part of helping my community by building a strong resource for our youth. Teen suicide is an unnecessary tragedy. By giving our youth information, choices and a place to turn we truly can lesson the impact of this sad epidemic. The staff and volunteers of this wonderful organization drive this concept forward every day. If I could give a ten star review, I would!

Thank you for this opportunity.

Very professional organization. Excellent volunteer program. Involved and engaged board of directors. Excellent staff. Very quality service.

The mebers of Teen Lifeline are angels. They literally save lives every day. I have seen their dedication to helping teens as much as they can, more importantly they truely care about each induvidual they sepak with. The world is blessed to have TLL.

While recently trying to gain support for Teen Lifeline from a local business here in Arizona, I was confronted with a challenge. This particular business serves teens and their parents and were concerned about the perceived negative affect of trying to create an association between Teen Lifeline and their customers around the issue of suicide. They could see the great value that Teen Lifeline brings, but were challenged with speaking about such a negative topic.

I was more than happy to share with this business owner that Teen Lifeline is about LIFE, and about providing a safe opportunity for teens to share their struggles with a fellow peer, learn about resources and take healthy steps to feel better. I assured the business owner that, through my experiences with Teen Lifeline, that this is not about suicide but about saving and changing lives.

And, I have seen lives changed. Not only the lives of the teens who call with a variety of crisis and struggles, but the lives of the teen councilors themselves, the lives of the adult clinicians, the lives of the volunteers and the lives of the supporters. Teen Lifeline is an organization that is connecting people and creating unmeasurable results.

I am often thanked by the executive director, a board member, or a teen volunteer for my support, whether it is that of cash sponsorship, in-kind service or participation, and I am quick to reply - "There is nothing that I could possibly do that comes anywhere close to the value of what the teens of Teen Lifeline do everyday." There is no one organization in our community that affects so many lives as does Teen Lifeline. It is with great respect and honor that I share this review.

My son spent several years serving Teen Lifeline as a peer counselor. Doing so not only helped others, but greatly aided in his own teen struggles. A win-win for all. He found helping other teens (reassuring them they had options, that others do care, etc.) extremely gratifying. He says his peer counseling work helped his perspective on life too. As his mom, I cannot thank Teen Lifeline enough for the valuable experience. You all rock!!

I volunteered with Teen Lifeline during my high school years, from roughly 1990-1992, and during college summers thereafter. I loved my time there, and I reflect upon it fondly all these years later. I felt immense fulfillment helping peers talk through problems, and giving them coping skills and resources for their most acute issues. After Teen Lifeline, I earned a Master of Counseling degree at Arizona State University, and then a law degree at the University of San Francisco. During graduate school, I worked full-time at EMPACT Suicide Prevention Center in Tempe, and felt grateful for the exceptional suicide prevention training that Teen Lifeline had given me. I was well prepared to do this work as a paid professional. I currently practice family law in San Francisco, having secured my first job in the field immediately after taking the Bar Exam, because my then-employer liked my extensive mental health background, dating back to my high school years. I have found Teen Lifeline's training beneficial in my professional and personal life, in that I'm good in a crisis and skilled at reflective listening. The social aspect of Teen Lifeline is no small part of the model's success: As a teen, there was no place I would rather go after school. The environment was supportive, fun, and intellectually stimulating; I learned so much from the supervisors while processing calls, and even from talking about my personal life. The supervisors were all wonderful, as were my fellow teen volunteers. Everyone cared to know each other well, and we passed on that sense of concern and community to our callers. I miss those days, and I wholeheartedly believe this organization saves lives and gives people hope.

My experience with Teen LIfeline goes back to when I was a teenager and had friends who called for help when they faced a crisis. As I became a professional educator, I was able to see the volunteers in action and provide resources to help them be as prepared as possible to support their callers. Now, as a classroom teacher, I rely on Teen Lifeline as a resource for my students. In every case, Teen Lifeline is there to provide resources, support, or just a friendly ear for kids who may not have anyone to listen or help.

Now I am watching one of my students who has helped by Teen Lifeline as she is inspired to give back as a voluteer. Watching this cycle inspired me to want to share my story with others to help continue their important work.

I became involved with Teen Lifeline after receiving a tour from a teen counselor who was AMAZING! Since I've become involved I have witnessed first-hand, lives being saved by these wonderful people. They are passionate about helping teens in crisis and my work with them has been so rewarding.

It has always been an honor to volunteer my time to Teen Lifeline. I have never seen an organization that creates such a direct impact with those it strives to help.

The staff of this organization is very well organized and effecient. The teen peer counslers are well trained and are extremely dedicated to helping teens in crisis.
I serve on other non profit boards, but none with the effeciency and dedication of this organization.
From the board to the staff to the teen counslers, everyone is working hard to provide the best place for teens with problems, to get help.

For years my employer has contributed to Teen Lifeline then, over the last few years, my family was exposed to some teenage tragedies that really made me take a closer look at programs that could help Teens. After talking with my teenage daughter I realized that peer counseling, like that provided by Teen Lifeline, was something many teens would use and seek out. So I became a donor and board member of Teen Lifeline to help this wonderful organization grow and provide services to more teens. Teen Lifeline is a small organization, it almost seems more like a family, that could really use help in reaching out to teens in crisis.

I have known about TeenLifeline since it's inception in 1986. It was the same year that I started working as a Prevention Specialist in Phoenix Elementary and Roosevelt School districts. I held that job for ten years and there were many times that I gave Teen Lifeline's number to a student who felt sad and alone and needed someone to talk to after school hours.
In 1995 I began working as a part-time hotline supervisor at Teen Lifeline. That's when I saw first hand the critical impact this resource has on youth. It's not just the teen callers who benefit from this service, but also the amazing students who volunteer a significant amount of their time to staff the hotline. Volunteering at Teen Lifeline requires a huge commitment and over 75 hours of training before a teen ever answers a call. As a therapist with a Master's in counseling I was awestruck at the compassion and skill that I witnessed the first time I ever observed a peer counselor pick up the phone and respond to a caller in crisis. Within minutes the peer counselor connected with the caller and got to the heart of the problem. Another 20 minutes and the caller had figured out a resolution to her problem and had a viable action plan. Over the next few years I witnessed, first hand, the undeniable impact that Teen Lifeline has on our community's youth. When a teenager has nowhere to turn, and is facing a problem that seems insurmountable, their thoughts can very quickly turn to suicide. I believe that Teen Lifeline has offered salvation to thousands of desparate teens over the years and prevented countless suicides. I am passionate about Teen LIfeline because I believe that Teen Lifeline saves lives.
In 1998 I was asked to serve on an advisory board to help direct Teen Lifeline's future. In 2000 I became a founding Board member as Teen Lifeline established itself as a stand alone non-profit organization, and ceased to exist as a program under a larger non-profit. I continued to serve as an active Board member until this year (2011) when I stepped down and assumed the role of emeritus board member. I have nothing but good things to say about the organization, it's mission, it's impact and it's leadership.

We hear stats like suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among teens. We hear on the news about bullying in schools and cyber bullying. What we don't always hear is that these issues go far beyond just bullying. Along with bullying, issues like date rape and substance abuse impact children, pre-teens and all ages.

I started as a board member with Teen Lifeline when I was in my mid 20's. Almost 8 years later and now through the eyes of a mother myself (I have 2 children) I am even more passionate about the work that we do. Teen Lifeline saves lives!

I had friends that took their lives when I was younger and to think if Teen Lifeline had existed in my hometown and these resources had been available back then, then perhaps these people could have been saved.

For anyone who is interested in learning more or becoming involved it is certainly worth the trip down to the Teen Lifeline offices. While there you can take a tour and meet our teen volunteers who run the hotline and help save the lives of thousands of teens in our community simply by talking to them and letting these callers know that someone cares. It's quite an amazing experience and will warm your heart to see first hand what we are doing to help the community and our youth.

I've been on the Teen Lifeline board for 3 years and the experience has been extremely rewarding. The mission is simple: Eradicate teen suicide. Although I didn't fully appreciate the prevelance of teen suicide in the Valley prior to joining the board, I do now, and I couldn't be more proud to be part of the organization.

I have been with Teen Lifeline for 8 years. I started as a Peer Counselor at age 15 and have stayed with the organization because I believe in the amazing work we do. Volunteers never "age out" of our organization so after being a teen Peer Counselor I became a College Peer. Now that I am working on graduate school, I am considered an Adult Volunteer.

I am currently working on a master of social work and a master of public health. The farther I get in my education, the more I appreciate all I have learned at Teen Lifeline. My volunteer experience prepared me in the best way for a career in human service. As a teenager I didn't fully understand why we did things the way we did at Teen Lifeline. With the insight of my graduate education I am able to see that all of our programs are are evidence-based and our services are on par with those provided by other crisis organizations, typically staffed by adults.

Teen Lifeline is a life-changing place for callers and peer counselors alike. Both groups find Teen Lifeline to be a supportive and empowering place when they can go to talk about their problems in a healthy way. I will forever be grateful for the mentoring and support I received at Teen Lifeline.

I am currently finishing my second academic year at Arizona State University and I am still an active volunteer at Teen Lifeline--a fact that makes a poignant statement. I have been volunteering at Teen Lifeline for four years and it has consistently remained a vital aspect of my life and an integral facet of my identity. I simply cannot imagine my life without Teen Lifeline.
Over the last four years at Teen Lifeline, I have answered countless calls from teens in crisis. I have helped a hopeless, suicidal 14-year-old male recognize the major negative influences in his life and identify healthy coping strategies to help him positively deal with his depression. I have informed teens of runaway laws and have helped girls deal with the difficult possibility of pregnancy. I have counseled substance abusers, alcohol abusers, and those abused, physically and emotionally, by family members and significant others who are sometimes abusers themselves. I have talked to teens in jail and to teens who want to be in jail (as opposed to where they are instead). I have spoken to parents, to parole officers, to police officers, and to educators. I have listened to calls of grief and mourning. I have been thanked.
Yet taking calls is not all I do at the hotline. I have had numerous opportunities to proudly represent Teen Lifeline on television and on the radio. I have aided in training adults in suicide prevention. I have spoken to large groups of teens and adults. During each Teen Suicide Prevention Week over the past three years, I have spoken to hundreds of students, explaining the many services this vital organization offers to the community.
Despite the grandiose publicity and the humbling chances to be on TV, my favorite role as a Peer Counselor will always be training and working with new volunteers. The success of Teen Lifeline truly comes from its volunteers, who noticeably grow and mature throughout training and the time they later spend volunteering. I absolutely love seeing those who initially struggled with training ultimately learn and succeed, becoming incredible peer counselors and positive members of society. It is too easy to forget that much of the benefit Teen Lifeline gives to society is through its volunteers. Every young adult Teen Lifeline trains will go on to uphold himself or herself in his or her community with dignity and strong respect of others, improving tenuous social construction at its roots. Peer counselors learn to be nonjudgmental and to empathize with those around them. Many volunteers go on to study psychology, but many others pursue other academic disciplines, instilling in their disparate subjects the same important ideals of treating others with the utmost kindness and respect, and truly understanding those around them.
What I do for Teen Lifeline may seem impressive, but to me it is nothing. I love and savor every moment I spend with my welcoming community of peer counselors and staff; Teen Lifeline is where I want to be. I want to answer the phone, I want to speak out in my community, and I want to help other volunteers to learn and grow--all because of what I have personally gained from volunteering at Teen Lifeline. No matter how much I give back to Teen Lifeline, I will never make up for what I have received. The enduring friendships, life skills, and opportunities Teen Lifeline has afforded me greet no rivals. Because of the community Teen Lifeline has created and maintained, I know that I will always have a friend to call and a place to go if I ever need support of any kind in my future. More importantly, I know that I am a part of that same community for many others who have benefited from the same, incredible organization. With Teen Lifeline in my life, I will never be alone.

I have been volunteering at Teen Lifeline since I was 15 years old. When I was in high school, I would come in to volunteer almost every single night because of the sense of community I felt. Thanks to Teen Lifeline, I have learned how to be a better listener and how to be a better friend. I know that whatever happens in my life, there will always be a community of people I can count on for love and support at Teen Lifeline. Better yet, I know that as a part of Teen Lifeline, I can give other people the same feeling that there is someone who will always be there for them.

Teen Lifeline is an amazing organization. I started at Teen Lifeline due to my own personal problems I was going through and I felt I needed to help other people that were having the same problems I was once having. Teen Lifeline has changed my life, after 3 years of volunteering here I have become a much healthier and I am now a much happier person. There are great things about Teen lifeline one of which is that volunteer actually feel like they make an impact in other's lives. There are very few teenagers that can honestly say "I have helped save a life" most if not all of our volunteers can honestly say that. There is such a healthy environment here between adults and teens and the relationships we build here are difficult to find anywhere else. Teens actually find this a safe place where they can share anything with trusted responsible adults. This is why Teen Lifeline is a such a great organization.

I started volunteering at Teen Lifeline when I was seventeen-years-old because I needed to complete community service hours, and the organization seemed different than most others that allowed teens to volunteer. This was very hands-on, and a little scary. However, when I began training I learned many skills that have helped me not only on the hotline, but in real life. Each week, my supervisors prepared me for anything that could come up on a call with a teen in crisis, while also teaching me how to be a better friend and a better person. After around a hundred hours of practicing skills, taking in information, and observing the hotline I became a peer counselor. I have now been at Teen Lifeline for three years, and while I've given a lot of my time to the organization, I have received much more in the friendships I've made, and the strides of growth I was able to make thanks to Teen Lifeline.

My story at Teen Lifeline is simple, yet life-changing. I started into it roughly a year ago to this day with my Phase 1, and I've been drawn to it ever since. I had always been looking for ways to go beyond helping my friends with their everyday problems and break into the realm of actually creating a lasting effect in society. Teen Lifeline gave me that option; though there was a great deal of training necessary (and there very well should have been), I found myself actually reaching out to my fellow peers and giving them someone to talk to. The feeling of it is incredible, to know you have actually helped someone. That, however was not all I took from my experience. I made many friends in the process, and the overall environment of the place is very comfortable and accepting. I don't know what life would be like without it.

During the time I have been volunteering in Teen Life Line, it's been an amazing experience for me. I've learn to think positively even though there's have been worst moments. I've gotten better at giving advices especially, actually listen to other peoples situations. Learn to avoid worst outcomes by making hard decisions. Inclusively, I've learned to look at a situation from all sides; top, bottom, left to right and being able to see other peoples point of view in the moment. Sincerely, the training of Teen Life Line has made me a better person, open-minded, and gives me the opportunity to help people especially teens through hard times, something I did not have when I needed help. The volunteers and staff is what makes Teen Life Line great and extremely an amazing place! I believe we're a family because we all get along with each other greatly. We are all there for one another and in Teen Life Line, there is always someone who you can talk to even if you're not able to talk with your "best friend" about certain things. Everything here in Teen Life Line is confidential especially for our callers situation and information. I do not regret volunteering in this great place! And I strongly recommend others to volunteer at Teen Life Line. It's a life time experience in many ways for maturing, and always knowing you helped a caller out with their problems. If you do not want to volunteer it's fine but if you ever want someone to just listen, we are here and you're not alone!

I have been involved with Teen Lifeline for more than 11 years. The organization, its staff and its volunteers consistently stay true to their promise to provide the highest standards of care for teens in need. Teen Lifeline's dedication to serving the underserved teen community has been unwavering and without them so many teens would be left without an outlet to vent their frustrations, an avenue to learn positive coping skills or way to get connected to critical (and sometimes life-saving) supportive services.

Teen Lifeline, has been an amazing thing for me, it has taught me so much, as wells as build great relations with the people that work here. I have had nothing but fun while being here, even my training was fun.
A few if the things i have learned while here, is to be less judgmental, which I defiantly have become, as well as how I can help people in certain situations.

Again my overall experience here has been amazing, and because of this, I plan on coming here for as long as i can.

I started working at Teen Lifeline last fall so that I could get the fifty hours of service that my school requires for all Juniors to get over the course of a semester. I had gone into training pessimistically, and just wanting to get my fifty hours over with. After about a week, my mood towards Teen Lifeline changed DRAMATICALLY. I never expected the other teens and supervisors to be so friendly, welcoming, fun and just awesome in general. For me, coming into Teen Lifeline is one of the highlights of my week and no week seems complete unless I come in at least one of the days. Aside from being around such amazing people, the satisfaction that I gain from helping out other teens on the hot line is one of those difficult to describe feelings that just helps me get through the day knowing that in a fifteen minute call I probably saved someone's life. What makes Teen Lifeline so unique is that when teens call in, they feel very comfortable knowing that they are talking to teens around the same age as themselves who experience some of the same hardships in life. This allows callers to be much more open, and allows us at Teen Lifeline to establish a much stronger rapport and have a greater impact on the callers lives. After I had grown such respect and such a desire to contribute to Teen Lifeline, not only in the first semester of school did I complete the fifty hours necessary, but went on to log in over one hundred hours in training alone. I have been continuing to contribute service hours not to fulfill a requirement for school, but to fulfill the requirement for this amazing organization to continue its great work.

Teen LIfeline's mission is to provide a safe, confidential and crucial crisis service where teens help teens make healthy decisions, and they do exactly this. Though a relatively small organization, they have an incredibly big heart, and they have dedicated themselves to serving the state of Arizona for the past 26 years, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. In current times of economic difficulties, as resources are being cut left and right, the services they provide are more important than ever before. Suicide is a public health issue for Arizona and Teen Lifeline is a key player in statewide prevention efforts. I have personally worked closely with several key staff members at this organization, and know them to be personally committed, consummate professionals. They give their time to be involved and to lend expertise not only on the issue, but also to help build capacity of our statewide coalition. When funding was drastically cut at the statewide level, this organization stepped in to fill the void and to partner with hospitals to ensure individuals who were in need of crisis services would not fall through the cracks. They work closely with law enforcement, schools, and systems, providing training and support. They are an invaluable resource and voice for youth.

I have been volunteering at Teen Lifeline for a little over two years now. I heard about it through my sister who had been volunteering there for a couple years. She told me how incredible her experience had been and told me to join, however, I was a slightly reluctant because this isn't the type of thing I normally do. I could not have been more wrong and deciding to work here was honestly one of the best choices I have made in my life so far. I would say that teen lifeline helps two distinct groups of people. First, are the teenagers that call in after or during a crisis and second are the people that volunteer here. The people that call in are usually worried, lonely and scared. However, When they hang up the phone they have thoroughly dissected their problem and have a step by step way to deal with their problem. This help, although amazing on its own, is miniscule compared to the empowerment they feel to solve their own problems. The volunteers never tell them what to do, but instead, they use various skills in order to let the caller figure it out themselves. This allows them to use the healthy problem solving methods and coping skills they learned in all their future problems. Normally, you wouldn't expect an organization to help its volunteers as much as the people the organization is supporting, but the environment at the Teen Lifeline building is one of support and friendliness. Since all the volunteers are teenagers, we are going through many of the problems we hear from our callers. But when we come in to take calls, we have several people all here o listen to us and be there for us. I have always noticed that when I start a shift if I do not know somebody, by the end they are a good friend I can tell anything too. Teen Lifeline has made me a more well-rounded person and it has allowed me to personally help people that really need it. Without Teen Lifeline, my high school experience would have been much more difficult to deal with.