Oak Ridge Today

Local bands benefiting charities tonight, Saturday

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The Teno Family Band is one of the many performing groups to provide entertainment at the Turning Wheel Revue on Friday evening, May 25, 2018, at Swifty’s Atomic Bar & Grill, and Saturday evening, May 26, at the Historic Grove Theater. (Submitted photo)

The Teno Family Band is one of the many performing groups to provide entertainment at the Turning Wheel Revue on Friday evening, May 25, 2018, at Swifty’s Atomic Bar & Grill, and Saturday evening, May 26, at the Historic Grove Theater. (Submitted photo)

 

“Local musicians benefiting local charities.”

That’s the tagline for the Turning Wheel Revue, a fundraiser to be held Friday, May 25, and Saturday, May 26, in Oak Ridge.

The Friday event will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. at Swifty’s Atomic Bar & Grill (119 South Illinois Avenue), and the Saturday fundraiser will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Historic Grove Theater (123 Randolph Road).

The bands that will trigger toe-tapping on Friday evening will be The Lewis Brothers (Robbie & James), The Ryan Meeker Band, $teve, The Thrips, The Unnamed, and special guests.

Turning to the Saturday evening event, attendees will hear Jeremiah Johnson & Jackson Coleman, Joey Shackleford, Kasey Moore, Samantha Mason & Marian Vacaluic, Sarah Joyal, (Rick) Payson Lyon, The Teno Family Band, Tim & Jodi Harbin, The Young Band, Nothing Band, and special guests.

The 13 local nonprofit service organizations that will benefit from your presence are: [Read more…]

Area care line seeks volunteers to make calls to seniors

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CNS Y-12 recently presented a check for launch of new program for Knox area senior citizens to Contact Care Line. Pictured from left are Alison Sides, secretary of the CNS-Y12 Advisory Committee; Helen Morton, vice president of the Board of Contact Care Line; Bruce Marshall, executive director of Contact Care Line; and Mike Fierley, chair of the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund Advisory Committee. (Submitted photo)

CNS Y-12 recently presented a check for launch of new program for Knox area senior citizens to Contact Care Line. Pictured from left are Alison Sides, secretary of the CNS Y-12 Advisory Committee; Helen Morton, vice president of the Board of Contact Care Line; Bruce Marshall, executive director of Contact Care Line; and Mike Fierley, chair of the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund Advisory Committee. (Submitted photo)

 

Reassurance Contact, an Oak Ridge-based service of local nonprofit Contact Care Line, is seeking caring individuals to volunteer a few hours each week to make calls to elderly Anderson and Knox County residents who live alone, a press release said.

“Volunteers donate a few hours one day a week to make social and safety calls to senior citizens who can use a cheerful moment in their day, a quick check that they are safe, and perhaps a reminder to take their medicine,” the press release said.

It said nearly 20 percent of the area’s population is 65 or older and 43 percent of those in this age group have a disability.

“Surveys reveal that seniors prefer to remain in their own homes as they age,” the press release said. “But safety concerns, coupled with social isolation, threaten the capacity of seniors to live on their own. Reassurance Contact addresses these issues, allowing senior residents to remain in the own residences as long as possible.”

The launch of this new program is helped by a $9,000 grant from the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund at East Tennessee Foundation, the press release said. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line to bring new film ‘The Listeners’ to Oak Ridge

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Trainee Kortney Rist in the call room at Headquarters Counseling Center., from a scene in the documentary The Listeners. (Photo submitted by CONTACT Care Line)

Trainee Kortney Rist in the call room at Headquarters Counseling Center., from a scene in the documentary The Listeners. (Photo submitted by CONTACT Care Line)

 

Special one-time screening of a new documentary about suicide hotline volunteers; screening requires 80  tickets to be sold by Thursday, April 27

CONTACT Care Line will be hosting a one-time screening of “The Listeners” in Oak Ridge on Thursday, May 4.

“The Listeners” follows a cadre of new volunteer trainees in crisis and suicide prevention as they learn to answer suicide hotlines, a press release said.

“Through their eyes—and more importantly, their ears—the film examines mental health and suicide prevention strategies, volunteerism, and the life-saving power of empathy,” the press release said.

The event includes a brief introduction to the work of CONTACT Care Line and concludes with a 15-minute opportunity for questions.

The film is being screened through Tugg.com, a platform that helps organizations to host screenings in their local theaters. Tickets can be purchased at www.tugg.com/events/the-listeners-xxbt. [Read more…]

Buy tickets for Bursting the Blues fundraiser by Wednesday

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Photo credit Clint James Photography

Photo credit Clint James Photography

 

Submitted

Shake off the winter blues with dinner, a silent auction, a balloon pop, and live music at CONTACT Care Line’s annual “Bursting the Blues Gala.” The evening will offer attendees the opportunity to celebrate the coming of spring, win prizes, and help CONTACT raise money to support those most at risk in its nine-county service area. The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 4, from 6-9 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge.

Contrary to popular myth, suicide rates are highest in spring and are lowest in winter. Studies dating back as far as the early 1800s have demonstrated that this trend has remained constant since then. Researchers are uncertain of the cause. In 2016, Tennessee lost 938 people to suicide, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To reduce these numbers, CONTACT has joined more than 160 crisis centers across the country to form the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. As the only Care Line call center in East Tennessee, CONTACT Care Line provides a confidential crisis line to anyone who needs a listening ear or a referral for other community resources. [Read more…]

CONTACT Care Line volunteer wins national award

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Doris Jolley

Doris Jolley

 

A longtime volunteer for the CONTACT Care Line, an East Tennessee crisis intervention resource, was recently honored with a national award for outstanding contributions, a press release said.

Doris Jolley, a CONTACT volunteer for more than 43 years, was awarded the Spirit of Contact Award given by the National Association of Crisis Center Directors and Contact USA following their annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, last fall. The award is the highest given by the organization and recognizes Jolley’s supreme commitment to serving community members in crisis, the press release said.

Having completed the newly implemented CONTACT training course, Jolley was accredited to take calls on the brand new Oak Ridge Contact Helpline in October 1973. Since then, her service to the organization has continued without interruptions, the press release said. Over the years, Jolley has served the organization in a variety of roles: crisis line volunteer, scheduler of volunteers, mentor to new volunteer recruits, as well as executive director for 16 years. Since 2009 alone, Jolley has logged more than 4,000 hours of service. [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…]

CONTACT Care Line needs volunteers

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CONTACT Care Line is in need of volunteers to answer its Crisis Line and to make daily Reassurance Calls to its elderly, disabled, and home bound clients. CONTACT is a United Way Agency and all of its services are free of charge. They serve all nine counties in the 865 area code area.

CONTACT Care Line is offering The Art of Active Listening Training on Tuesday evenings from 7-9 p.m. for eight weeks from August 25-October 13 in the Austin Peay Building at 1404 Circle Drive in Knoxville.

A press release said this training teaches empathetic listening skills that you can use with co-workers, family. and friends. [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 has annual flea market Friday, Saturday

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CONTACT Care Line has its annual flea market on Friday and Saturday.

You can bring donations to First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge on from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, April 3, or from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, April 4.

The flea market is from 6-8 p.m. Friday, April 4 (buy at twice the price), and from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 5.

The First Baptist Church is at 1100 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Call the CONTACT office at (865) 312-7450 for earlier pick-up of large items.