Val Woodland broke down in tears when she made the decision to close down the Griffith Suicide Prevention Support Group due to lack of volunteers and committee members.
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As somebody who has spent the past 15 years helping people in their darkest hour, she was heartbroken at the thought of so many people being left to carry their burdens alone.
But when she told her friend Michelle Parr that the group would be cutting their phone line for good, Ms Parr was adamant that that was not going to happen.
Within a single day Ms Parr rustled up four other friends to join the group committee, catapulting their numbers from three to eight.
Now the group has almost tripled in size, they are looking to the future to make sure the group is bigger and better than ever.
Ms Woodland said she was deeply relieved she would be able to continue being there for those with nobody else to turn to.
“It is something I really care about and I think it’s really worthwhile,” Ms Woodland said.
“It’s very rewarding to be there on the other end of the line for someone who’s desperate.”
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The group’s volunteers know just how painful the impact of suicide can be on families; many of them are parents who have lost their own children.
Ms Woodland hears such painful stories on a regular basis, but she said it’s all worth it to hear the change in people’s voices on the other side of the line.
“As the conversation progresses and they express their feelings you can hear the change in their voice,” she said.
“It’s amazing how much difference a 20 minute conversation can make.”
She knows better than anyone just how meaningful it is to have somebody to talk to when the going gets tough, and over 15 years she has talked countless people out of suicide.
But there are still those out there who never reach out to anyone before ending their lives, and she hopes her new and improved team can touch the lives of more people.
The team will be putting the good word out there so people know when they call 1300 311 911, there will always be a caring voice on the other side of the line.
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
