Coronavirus stress creating a need for volunteers to call the mental health population of WNY

Compeer is an organization that promotes good mental health among adults, youth, seniors, and veterans through supportive relationships.

This mentorship pairs an individual living with a mental illness, with someone willing to chat and be a friend to them.

YOUR FINANCES MAYBE JUST "ONE" OFMANY "NEWSTRESSORS" YOU'RENOW DEALING WITH--AS A RESULT OF THEPANDEMIC.ALL NEW FOR YOUTHIS MORNING--7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER JEFFSLAWSON SHOWS USTHE WAY--ONE LOCAL GROUP ISHELPING PEOPLE --STRUGGLING WITHTHEIR MENTALHEALTH--AND WHY ONE PHONECALL CAN MAKE AWORLD OFDIFFERENCE.1 IN 4 INDIVIDUALS INERIE COUNTY WILLHAVE MENTAL ILLNESSAT SOME POINT INTHEIR LIVES...COMIN INTO THEWHOLE CORONAVURUSPIECE WHO ALREADYHAVE MENTAL ILLNESS... THEIR MENTALILLNESS IS ONLYEXAGGERATED BYTHAT.TIM BOLING IS THECEO OF COMPEER --AN ORGANIZATIONTHAT SUPPORTSPEOPLE WITH MENTALILLNESS THROUGHPEER TO PEERMENTORING.

THE LASTFEW WEEKS HAVEBEEN THE BUSIESTTHEY HAVE EVERSEEN.THE NUMBERS HAVEGONE UP QUITE A BITRECENTLY.TYPICALLY -- COMPEERHAS VOLUNTEERSMEET WITHINDIVIDUALS LIVINGWITH MENTALILLNESSES IN PERSON-- BUT DUE TO COVID-19 -- THAT HASCHANGED TO PHONECALLS.

TO LET THOSESTRUGGLING KNOWTHAT SOMEONE ISTHERE FOR THEM.THE DIFFERENCE THATIT MAKES FOR PEOPLEWHO ARE RECEIVINGTHESE PHONE CALLSON A REGULAR BASISWHO OTHERWISEWOULD NOT I THINK ITSBEEN IN A WAY LIFECHANGING FOR THEMBUT WITH THESTRESSES OFCORONAVIRUS --COMPEER NOW HASAN EXTREMELY LONGWAITING LIST FORTHOSE WITHDIAGNOSED MENTALILLNESSES LOOKINGFOR SOMEONE TOTALK TO.DURING A TIME LIKETHIS WE -- WE NEEDMORE HELP ANDBECAUSE WE AREGETTING MORE ANDMORE REQUESTS FROMPEOPLE ARE IN NEEDOF SERVICES.SO COMPEER ISHOPING TO GET MOREVOLUNTEERS --ESPECIALLY AT A TIMEWHEN A LOT OF USARE NOT THAT BUSY.SO HAVING SOMEONECALLING IN ANDCHECKING IN ON THEMWILL HELP THEMIMMENSELY WITH THEIRMENTAL HEALTH --WHICH HAS A DIRECTRELATIONSHIP ONTHEIR PHYSICALHEALTH.

SO THEBETTER THEY DOMENTALLY THEY DOPHYSICALLY ... BUT FORTHE VOLUNTEER THEPERSON WHO CALLED-- TRUST ME YOULL GETAS MUCH OUT OF THISAS THE PERSON YOUARE BEING MATCHEDWITH.SIGNING UP FOR THEPHONE BUDDYPROGRAM IS NOT AHUGE COMMITTMENTAS ANYONE CAN DO ITAFTER GOINGTHROUGH A TRAININGPERIOD... COMPEERCAN TAKE AS MANYVOLUNTEERS AS THEYCAN -- SO IF YOUREINTERESTED VISIT OURWEBSITE FOR MOREINFORMATION,