Switched-On :: Blog

photo courtesy flickr user mistress-f

Our home phone has been mischievous lately. Ignoring incoming calls, failing to ring, deciding to end conversations at key junctures. Because of this, I had to call our service provider’s hotline. After being on hold for 30 minutes, during which I was subjected to bongo-generated music, I spoke to a customer assistant. The guy ended up solving the problem, but was not what you would call anything near cheerful. Okay, maybe not surly, but definitely someone just getting in the hours. At the National Runaway Switchboard, over one hundred volunteers come in because of their desire to assist people in any ways possible. There’s no speaking to anyone who wants to get you off the line or go on lunch break. The crisis liners are there out of a desire to be helpful, and this is the reason for the doggedness with which they pursue solutions for anybody who needs one.

- Will

Sometimes, a confidential phone call isn’t anonymous for someone. Maybe they’re shy, or unsure if information is really kept secret, or just don’t feel like speaking to someone. In case that happens, the Bulletin Boards on the National Runaway Switchboard’s website offer a useful alternative to a phone conversation. On the Bulletin Boards, visitors can ask questions or talk about important, meaningful topics- family relationships, school issues, parenting. The Bulletin Boards offer a means of communication that lets users feel able to put out exactly what they want to say. Sometimes a phone call can cause emotions that make it hard to express yourself. Talking online, however, allows someone to plan and write exactly what they mean, without the worry of a live interaction. NRS is all about finding the best ways to help, and by providing a relaxed atmosphere in which people can get answers, share stories, and find empathy, NRS continues to do its job – and do it well.

- Will

photo courtesy flickr user pfv

You can pretty much do anything with texting. You can Google, make purchases, donate money, and have inappropriate photographic interactions. But what you can’t do – what is not nearly as effective – is get help in a serious situation. In the Why They Run Report, 80% of teens say they want to talk to someone to gauge how much they can trust them. This makes sense; it’s harder to trust pixels than a real human voice. It’s not easy to always have a person at the ready to help in complicated situations, but the National Runaway Switchboard does it. Twenty four hours a day, every day, there is someone who is able to have meaningful and helpful interactions with anyone who calls. Through volunteers and staff, NRS makes sure that whenever someone needs a voice they can trust, not just a collection of words on the screen, there is a place they can turn.

- Will