2020 was a difficult year for so many and we are pleased that we were able to maintain our line without missing a single day.
At the start of the year, we were still hoping to hold our fundraising book sales. However, this was not possible, and so we faced the prospect of losing a substantial part of our income. Wherever possible we took immediate action to reduce our costs without compromising on the support we give to our callers. We also asked for help to fill the financial gap we were facing. The donations we received allowed us to finish the year with a small surplus that we can bring forward to 2021. Every donation, small or large, made a difference. Thank you.
The Covid-19 virus has had a considerable impact and has proven to us the importance of what we do. Our line is confidential, which means we cannot tell you about the calls we receive and how they have supported people, however, one caller has given us permission to share the following feedback.
Their thanks to us is our thanks to you.
“One day I had enough. It was time for me to speak about what I was going through. I went to Google and found a number. A kind of helpline. The funniest thing about it was I’ve been calling almost every day. Some days I was expressing my anger, my fears. Some other days my joy, my happiness. It was like talking to a friend. This friend never judged, never said “you’re wrong”. They were listening to what I had to say. Yes, I had the chance to be heard. I had the chance to meet these helpers (men, women) through the phone. I want to say that if you’re going through a lot of things, don’t stay alone, pick up the phone. That’s the first step. Maybe not an easy step, but it can help.”
We are still unsure what 2021 has in store for us and we are going to continue to share our stories with you on our website, on social media, and wherever we can. There is still doubt about the future of the book sales and we need to be prepared for that. Your continued support is going to be very important.
SOS Help has lots it would like to do in the future. We will continue to look at how we can improve what we do and reach out to new people.
Thank you for helping us through this difficult time and in turn, helping those people who need us.
€20 pays our phone bill for two weeks
€50 pays the weekly rent of our listening post
€100 pays for a Listeners’ group monthly support session
€150 pays for the training of a new listener
€500 pays for two months running of our Listening Post
