Contact:	Arlene Klemow	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
	908/301-1899	February 10, 2009

 

South Orange Woman Finds Joy in Volunteering for Crisis Hotline

At age 59, with two children grown and out of the house, Flynn Bowen of South Orange focuses more now on enjoying her life. Sure, that includes travel, dinners out and time spent with her husband and friends. But what pleases her most is that she finally has the time to volunteer to make a difference. Something she has longed to do for quite some time.

“With volunteer work, you give your heart to it,” she said. “I love that.”

And the volunteer work of choice for Bowen is answering calls at CONTACT We Care, the 24-hour caring and crisis hotline serving New Jersey. “This is the most perfect thing in the world for me!” she exclaimed.

Recently named “2008 Best Statewide Volunteer Organization” by the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Volunteerism, CONTACT We Care trains and supervises nearly 100 volunteers to handle calls from individuals who are lonely, depressed, stressed or suicidal. The non-profit responds to some 12,000 calls a year from its discreet Westfield location.

Bowen, who began her career hoping to find a way to combine an entrepreneurial venture with doing good works, spent more than twenty-five years working for the likes of UPS, Merrill Lynch and Manufacturers Hanover Trust in management training and human resources. Her full-time work and time spent raising her children left her little time to devote to serving the community.

“At one point while working for UPS, I was the Community Relations Manager,” said Bowen. “Through that position I became familiar with the many different volunteer opportunities available. I realize that not all volunteer opportunities are equal.”

The avid reader, who holds degrees in political science and organizational psychology, especially appreciates the comprehensive training and on-going supervision she receives at CONTACT. “I have the tools I need to be effective on the phone line,” said Bowen. “I get excellent support from CONTACT’s professional staff.”

But Bowen’s enthusiasm doesn’t stop there. “I’m impressed and taken with the callers,” she said. “There are so many people struggling day to day and they are coping. They inspire me! I appreciate the callers. I’m just glad I’m able to be there for them.”

A naturally early riser, Bowen savors the calm and quiet of her pre-dawn drives twice a month to the CONTACT office to work her required eight hours a month on the line. “My husband thinks I’m crazy getting up early to do volunteer work, but I love it,” says the wife of 38 years with a quick smile and infectious laugh.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Bowen attended Catholic schools and credits the multi-cultural education and experience with making her sensitive and caring. As a teen Bowen’s parents divorced. She describes the experience she went through with her mother and sister as “the 3 of us against the world.”

That loss may have something to do with Bowen’s ability to be an empathetic listener. Whatever the root, she enjoys connecting with the callers one-on-one and offering them a compassionate listening ear. “The worst kinds of calls are when there’s no opportunity for follow-up in the case of a crisis. As a crisis hotline volunteer, you have to learn how to adjust to not always knowing the outcome of a situation,” said Bowen. “The best kinds of calls are when you talk to a caller who has been struggling with some issues and they tell you they’ve stopped doing something that is self-destructive. They feel there is hope and that’s the best.”

For more information about volunteering for CONTACT We Care or to register for the upcoming Training Class beginning on February 23, call 908/301-1899 or visit the CONTACT We Care website at www.contactwecare.org.