The Samaritans Crisis Line offers non-judgemental, emotional support to the lonely, despairing and suicidal, or those at risk of becoming so. Our team of trained volunteers provide face-to-face support by day and are on hand 24/7 to answer calls and emails in a time of crisis.

How Dine for Life guests made a difference

Our 2010 Summer Dinner event raised an impressive $19,500. 100% of the proceeds was donated to the Samaritans Crisis Line to fund an awareness-raising and volunteer recruitment campaign on a much larger scale than had been previously possible.

The resulting radio campaign ran throughout December and January, with 6PR and 96fm kindly doubling the number of purchased advertising slots for free. Their impact was significant, with 22% of all attendees at the February volunteer intake having responded to the radio campaign.

“The money raised through Dine for Life has given us the opportunity to raise awareness of our organisation and the services we provide to the broader community,” says Samaritans Crisis Line, Perth.

They were also keen to add “The Samaritans Crisis Line kindly thanks Dine for Life for selecting our organisation as the recipient from the Summer Dinner. The whole experience has provided valuable insights into fundraising through social events and inspired us to host own ‘Friends of Samaritans Dinner’ in March 2011.”

The statistics

• In 2008, 2,191 deaths from suicide were registered, 78% of these suicides were males (accounting for 24% of all male deaths, aged 15-24).
• In the same year, intentional self-harm was ranked in the top 15 causes of death in Australia.
• For every person who takes their own life, around 30 people are directly and dramatically affected.
• Although death by suicide is a relatively uncommon event, the human and economic costs are substantial.
• Crisis Line volunteers took 14,000 calls last year.
• There are currently 80 Samaritans running the Crisis Line. 120 are needed to run the service effectively, 24/7.

Sources – Australian Bureau of Statistics & Samaritans Crisis Line

The vision

The ultimate aim of Samaritans Crisis Line is to create a society in which fewer people die from suicide. To nurture a community in which individuals are able to explore their feelings. A community where people are able to acknowledge and respect the feelings of others.

The impact of Dine for Life’s fund raising support will be two-fold. Contributing to the marketing and promotion of the Crisis Line, the funds will enable the Samaritans to recruit more volunteers and raise public awareness of the vital support that is available at a time of crisis.