Oak Ridge Today

Grace Lutheran has guided gratitude meditation on Saturday

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Linda Doyle

Linda Doyle

 

The Grace Lutheran Mental Health Ministry will host a guided gratitude meditation program on Saturday.

The meditation will be led by retired licensed clinical social worker and CONTACT volunteer Linda Doyle in the church fellowship hall.

The program is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, December 9, at Grace Lutheran, which is at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue behind Woodland Elementary School in Oak Ridge.

The presentation is free and open to the community, and child care will be provided, a press release said.

It said the guided meditation will be ecumenical in nature and appropriate for people of all faiths. [Read more…]

Santa makes early visit to Oak Ridge: Pancakes with Santa

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Santa-Lee-Morris-Dec-2015

Santa (aka: Lee Morris, of Oak Ridge) will be at Applebee’s Restaurant this Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, from 8 to 10 a.m. (Submitted photo)

 

Santa will make an early stop in Oak Ridge this Saturday, December 12, from 8 to 10 a.m. at Applebee’s Restaurant.

The public is invited to join Santa (aka: long time Oak Ridge resident Lee Morris) for a pancake breakfast to benefit CONTACT Care Line of East Tennessee.  Breakfast and an opportunity for a picture with Santa is $5.

Applebee’s is at 1213 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge churches founded CONTACT in 1973, and the nonprofit agency now serves Knoxville and surrounding communities as well. Volunteers field approximately 10,000 calls per year. [Read more…]

Bursting the Blues Balloon Pop Concert to raise awareness of seasonal affective disorder

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Ridge City Ramblers

The Ridge City Ramblers will play bluegrass and Americana music at the Bursting the Blues Balloon Pop Concert on Saturday. (File photo/submitted)

 

CONTACT Care Line of East Tennessee will host a Bursting the Blues Balloon Pop Concert on Saturday, February 7, to raise awareness of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

SAD is a subtype of major depression linked to seasonal changes, usually in fall and winter, but more infrequently in the summer, a press release said. SAD may account for one in five cases of depression, and three out of four cases affect women. An estimated 1.3 million people in the United States suffer from seasonal affective disorder, the press release said, citing a 2006 study. Some symptoms are depression, insomnia, weight loss, and anxiety.

“Commonly known as the ‘winter blues,’ SAD presents a serious health concern that, if left untreated, may lead to complications such as social withdrawal, substance abuse, or suicidal thoughts and behavior, the release said, citing a 2015 study. [Read more…]

Pancakes with Santa fundraiser for CONTACT Care Line on Saturday

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Santa

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. [Read more…]

Letter: CONTACT Care Line helps those in need by phone, chat, text

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To the Editor:

Many articles in recent weeks have been reflecting on the suicide of Robin Williams and providing national help lines.

For over 40 years, right here in our community, CONTACT Care Line has provided a listening ear to those who are lonely, in crisis, having a bad day, or just need someone to talk to. CONTACT Care Line, serving the 865 area code and beyond, is a local nonprofit staffed by trained volunteers who are available to listen seven days a week, 365 days a year, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The number to call to reach a listening ear is (865) 584-4424. All calls are confidential.

CONTACT recently added a local chat service (CONTACTCareLineTN.org/chat) and a text service ((865) 407-2TXT) available Monday-Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Chat/text specialists also take Suicide Prevention Line crisis chats from across Tennessee between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. weekdays. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line has pancake breakfast fundraiser on July 12

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CONTACT Care Line will have its annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at Lincoln’s Sports Grille in Oak Ridge on Saturday, July 12, from 8 to 10 a.m. Tickets to the event are on sal​e ​now ​for $5, and they will be available at the door on the day of the event. ​

Proceeds will directly support CONTACT’s Crisis Line and Reassurance Programs. In 2013, CONTACT fielded 18,917 critical support calls across East Tennessee, including 86 suicide-related calls. In 2014, the crisis center will launch chat- and text-based emotional support to better serve young people and others who prefer mobile communication for crisis intervention, a press release said.

For tickets or information, call (865) 312-7450​ or ​e-mail [email protected].

To learn more about CONTACT, visit the website at www.contactcarelinetn.org/, follow them on Twitter at @contact865, and like them on Facebook.

CONTACT Care Line to offer emotional support through chat, text

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CONTACT Care Line will launch chat and text-based emotional support, the first of its kind in East Tennessee with funding from the Trinity Health Foundation. This summer, CONTACT will pilot the Chat/Text Line in collaboration with community and educational partners in Knox and surrounding counties.

In a similar pilot program, Nevada’s TextToday program found that young people preferred text communication, believing it afforded more privacy and confidentiality than phone conversations. Young people were more likely to seek emotional support from strangers, who they believed would be less judgmental than people they knew, including family and friends.

In our fragmented modern world, the need for online emotional support is critical. Over half of people with mental, emotional, or behavioral health issues suffer their first symptoms in childhood or adolescence, and roughly 14-20 percent of young people experience these problems, according to a 2009 study. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line: Master the art of active listening

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CONTACT Care Line has training sessions on listening starting Friday, April 4.

The Art of Active Listening Training classes are on Friday afternoons from 2-4 p.m. April 4-May 23. There is no class on Good Friday, April 18. Classes will be held in the Parlor at Kern Memorial United Methodist Church at 451 E. Tennessee Ave. in Oak Ridge. The cost is $50 for the general public and $25 for students.

The Art of Active Listening teaches effective listening skills that everyone can use in their daily lives with family, friends, and co-workers. It enables participants to develop empathetic, non-judgmental listening techniques. This training offers important ways to assist with many of the problems people face and how we can respond in a healthy, heartfelt, and helpful way, a press release said. Practice sessions in a supportive, nonjudgmental atmosphere help participants begin to use their new skills and gain confidence as they discover the value of constructive, caring listening, and responding. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line celebrates 40th anniversary Friday

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Deborah Patterson

Deborah Patterson

For 40 years, volunteers with CONTACT Care Line have provided a listening ear to East Tennesseans in crisis, and the Oak Ridge-based nonprofit is inviting the public to a Friday evening of bluegrass music to celebrate its milestone anniversary.

The public is also recognizing CONTACT, with both the city of Oak Ridge and Rep. John Ragan from Tennessee’s District 33 proclaiming November as “CONTACT Care Line Month,” a press release said.

“A lot has changed in 40 years,” said Deb Patterson, CONTACT’s executive director, “but six of our volunteers have been with us from Day One, and what hasn’t changed is that lonely people, people with mental illnesses, the elderly—all of us, really—need someone to talk to every once in a while. It’s going to be special to reach the 40-year milestone and to thank all our telephone workers.”

The 40th Ruby Anniversary Balloon Pop Concert featuring the Ridge City Ramblers will be held from 7-10 p.m. Friday at the Pollard Conference Center in Oak Ridge. The Ramblers will provide a fun mix of bluegrass and Americana music, and there’ll be a prize in every balloon, the press release said. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line celebrates 40 years with concert, workshops, new director

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CONTACT Care Line of East Tennessee is marking 40 years of service to neighbors in crisis with a fundraising concert, a new series of listening workshops, a new executive director, and a new look.

The Oak Ridge-based nonprofit fields some 10,000 telephone calls annually from people who are lonely, facing a crisis, and at times contemplating suicide. It is staffed almost entirely by volunteers, including a contingent of University of Tennessee psychology students whose time listening to callers provides valuable experience. [Read more…]

Patterson named executive director of CONTACT Care Line

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Deborah Patterson

Deborah Patterson

CONTACT Care Line, a crisis line that has provided a listening ear to East Tennesseans for 40 years, has named Deborah Patterson as its new executive director, a press release said.

Patterson is a University of Tennessee alumna with experience in a variety of social service settings and a master’s degree in business administration. She takes the reins at CONTACT as the Oak Ridge-based organization works to build a Knoxville presence and expand services to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line pancake breakfast on July 13

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CONTACT Care Line is hosting a pancake breakfast at Lincoln’s Sports Grille from 8-10 a.m. July 13.

Tickets are $5 and may be purchased from any board member or at the door. All proceeds will benefit CONTACT’s crisis call lines, which serve a nine-county region, including Anderson, Blount, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Roane, Sevier, and Union counties.

CONTACT has been in operation in Oak Ridge since 1973 and is celebrating its 40th year of service to the community, a press release said. [Read more…]