Holiday Fund: In times of crisis, StarVista's hotline offers support 24/7

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The Almanac and its partner, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation cover all the administrative costs, every dollar raised goes directly to this year's nonprofit beneficiaries. Donate to the Holiday Fund at almanacnews.com/holiday_fund. — The Almanac and its partner, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation cover all the administrative costs, every dollar raised goes directly to this year’s nonprofit beneficiaries. Donate to the Holiday Fund at almanacnews.com/holiday_fund.

Alana* received a flyer with StarVista’s 24/7 crisis hotline number on it after she attended a school presentation on suicide prevention and intervention by StarVista’s Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Center. At first, Alana wasn’t sure if she would need the flyer, but she decided to take it anyway. Little did Alana know that the flyer would play a vital role during a challenging moment in her life.

A few months later, Alana found out that her aunt had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was struggling to accept the diagnosis. In a phone call, Alana’s aunt shared openly about her struggles to understand life after the diagnosis and expressed that she was feeling hopeless and without motivation to keep living. Alana was in shock.

As she was trying to process her aunt’s situation, Alana recalled the Crisis Center presentation and reflected upon the early signs and symptoms of suicide that she had learned about. In addition to hearing her aunt talk about feeling hopeless, she also noted that her aunt discussed feeling her diagnosis would be a burden to the rest of the family and was overwhelmed by having to ask others for support. Alana remembered being told by a StarVista presenter about the importance of asking directly about suicide. After Alana asked, her aunt began to cry as she replied “yes” and asked her niece for help.

Grabbing the Crisis Center flyer she kept in her bag, Alana immediately called StarVista’s crisis hotline at 650-579-0350 for support. A crisis line counselor provided emotional support to her by listening without judgment and exploring coping strategies. The crisis line counselor also encouraged Alana to share the crisis line number directly with her aunt, so that she may call when feeling overwhelmed by her feelings of hopelessness. Alana and the crisis counselor also spoke about her desire to help her aunt practice resilience and work through her diagnosis.

StarVista's Development, Marketing and Technology Staff.
Courtesy StarVista. — StarVista’s Development, Marketing and Technology Staff. Courtesy StarVista.

Later in the conversation, a crisis counselor provided lots of information on other services like caretaker support groups and chronic illness support groups hosted by one of StarVista’s community partners. The counselor Alana spoke with also gave her a referral to another StarVista program, the StarVista Counseling Center, which could provide individual therapy to help her cope with her fears and worries associated with this family change. At the end of the call, Alana said she was very grateful for the support she received from the crisis line, and she felt comforted knowing she could call back anytime for additional support.

StarVista is a nonprofit agency that delivers high-impact services through counseling, skill development and crisis prevention to children, youth, adults and families in San Mateo County. From struggles with substance abuse and thoughts of suicide to family violence and homelessness, StarVista helps approximately 40,000 people every year. It’s also one of 10 local nonprofits that benefit from donations to The Almanac’s Holiday Fund.

StarVista’s crisis hotline is 650-579-0350. More information is at star-vista.org.