The local crisis hotline 211 Big Bend will soon become Lifeline Connection.
Under a new name, it will continue community members with the resources they need.
Now the organization is facing a challenge of its own.
Collin Kleiner, director of hotline programs with the organization, says they received4,800 calls in the last month. He says that’s a lot for a regular month.
He noted that after hurricanes hit the Big Bend area in October 2024, they received the same number of calls.
“Just on a normal month we’re reaching levels that we would have only seen in the past after major disasters,” Kleiner said.
And the demand has put a strain on the organization as it faces a financial deficit of $70,000 Lifeline Connection CEO Kay Ignacio says.
Ignacio says the state cut funding to its program by $40,000 this year. She isn’t sure why and is looking for a way to redeem the revenue.
The money would help pay full-time staff, cover costs for community outreach, and upgrade technology in the call center.
“A zip code doesn’t determine where you are in life or what’s happening in your life. You could have an emotional crisis in 32304 as easily as you could in 32309 and I think that the more we talk about the risk of suicide and even mental health support, that’s needed for so many of us, the less stigma will be there and its better for everyone because there’s a huge amount of people that feel lonely and just need someone to talk to and we see that in our calls,” Ignacio says.
She hopes the rebrand will help gain community support and inform people of all they have to offer. Aside from the 211 hotline, it also houses the 988-crisis counseling hotline, the Family Healthline, and the HIV/AIDS hotline.
The organization will take on its new name Oct. 1.
