COUNTYWIDE : Cities Give Money to Volunteer Hot Line

Several cities recently gave money to a hot line staffed by volunteers who talk to people in crisis and make weekly calls to lonely people.

HOTLINE of Southern California received $4,000 from Cypress, $1,000 from Westminster, $1,500 from Fountain Valley and $2,000 from Santa Ana. Panasonic Corp. also recently gave the service $2,500.

The money will be used to continue programs and referrals, said its director, Johnni Hansen. The service receives about 200 calls a week.

The corporate donation is especially important now that cities will inevitably have to pare down their donations to nonprofit organizations as they try to balance increasingly tighter budgets, Hansen said.

And in light of news accounts about a suicidal woman who could not reach two hot lines whose numbers were given to her by a 911 operator, the donations ensure that the service will continue, she said.

Hansen noted that the two lines to which the suicidal woman was directed are not on her current listing of crisis organizations. “Now we’re getting phone calls from police departments,” she said, “asking us if we’re still in business. We’ve been here for 18 years.

“We’re trying to get a conference together of all the Orange County crisis organizations to see if we can pool our resources,” she said.

The line operates daily from 8 a.m. to midnight. The volunteers listen to crisis calls and make weekly “good neighbor” calls to lonely senior citizens, shut-ins, disabled people and others.

Volunteers also provide callers with information on county social service and human service agencies.

HOTLINE of Southern California has a database, called Find Orange County, which lists 3,500 nonprofit organizations and clubs that callers interested in certain hobbies can call.

Its numbers are (213) 596-5548, (714) 761-4575 and (714) 894-4242. Training classes are offered monthly. For information, call (213) 594-0960.