CONTACT Care Line is hosting a Pancakes with Santa fundraising event this Saturday, December 6, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
Santa Claus and Mrs. Santa will be there to greet children of all ages, and parents can take photos of their children with Santa, a press release said. Youth choirs will entertain the crowd with carols, and there will be plenty of merry elves serving pancakes with butter and syrup, bacon, fruit juices, hot chocolate, milk, and coffee too.
CONTACT is in its fifth decade serving people in need throughout East Tennessee, the press release said. Trained volunteers field nearly 19,000 critical support calls every year. Anderson County, where CONTACT is headquartered, has one of the lowest suicide rates in the state of Tennessee. However, suicide is on the rise in Tennessee and across the United States.
In 2014, CONTACT joined the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, fielding calls from Knox County as well as local Crisis Line calls. Over the summer, CONTACT launched a new Crisis Chat Portal to better serve at-risk youth. The Reassurance and Crisis Line programs give people the emotional support they need and reduce the barriers to getting mental health services, the press release said. These programs are vital for addressing undiagnosed and untreated mental illness—a major risk factor for suicide.
Saturday’s breakfast is supported by Consolidated Nuclear Security, which operates the Y-12 National Security Complex for the U.S. Department of Energy. All proceeds from the breakfast benefit CONTACT. Tickets are $5 and available at the door. For advance tickets, call (865) 312-7450.
To learn more about the crisis call center or make a donation online, please visit contactcarelinetn.org/donate.
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