Samaritans Ireland

“Samaritans have saved my life on a few occasions when things were hard,” shares Nathan from Westmeath. “For people who know me, that might come as a surprise. I’m always seen as the bubbly and happy, outgoing character who wants to put a smile on everyone's face. It doesn’t mean I’m happy all the time, and that's OK! “Samaritans were there for me when I felt I had no one else to turn to. You don't have to be in crisis to call; I've called before when I just needed a good cry. The person on the other end of the phone was so understanding, and by the end of it, I felt so much better, I was actually laughing. “That is why Samaritans is such a cherished organisation to me. Whenever all hope felt lost, they were my go-to phone call, just to get everything out, to unload my feelings. Whether I needed to cry or someone to talk to, they were always so gentle and caring. ”I hope my story inspires other people to reach out for help. My story is what makes me the person I am today, and that is something I am very proud of.” 🎄 We're here 24/7 throughout the festive period for anyone struggling to cope. 📱 Call 116 123 for free, day or night, or email jo@samaritans.ie

We're feeling festive and thankful following Dell Technologies' 'Jingle Dell Rock' event! Dell Ireland's wonderful team hosted a 3-day internal broadcast to celebrate Christmas and also promote Samaritans, offering information and support to their employees. A special thanks to Clémence Steelandt, Mariangela Cenedese, and the rest of the Communities team at Dell Technologies.

Our annual Longest Night campaign took place last night, the longest night of the year. From dusk on Saturday, buildings and landmarks across Ireland lit up green for The Longest Night to raise awareness of Samaritans this Christmas. Our volunteers around Ireland also engaged in uplifting Longest Night activities in their communities – Cork Samaritans sang Christmas carols in Cork Airport, Dublin Samaritans provided community outreach in Dublin City, and Sligo Samaritans sang carols in Sligo Town Centre 💚 #SamaritansLongestNight

💚✨THANK YOU✨💚 to all the landmarks & buildings that lit up green last night for #SamaritansLongestNight. Every illuminated site was a powerful reminder that Samaritans are here for everyone in their darkest hours. 👇 See the full list of sites that lit up: https://lnkd.in/ehepEW-K

Help raise awareness of Samaritans on the Longest Night. Share this post to show people we’re here for anyone having a tough time this festive season. 💚 #SamaritansLongestNight

💚💡✨TONIGHT IS SAMARITANS’ LONGEST NIGHT 💚💡✨ Buildings around Ireland & Northern Ireland are lighting up green tonight to raise awareness of Samaritans. Every illuminated building is a reminder that we’re here 24/7 over the festive period. 📱 116 123 #SamaritansLongestNight

At midnight tonight, Mark from Dublin will begin an epic challenge to support Samaritans: “At 12.01am tonight, I’m starting a 100,000 Step Challenge, which I should finish at 8pm on Saturday. I expect to walk for 20 hours, and cover up to 80km between Wicklow and Dublin. I’ve been training hard with this challenge as my goal. “I was inspired to take on this challenge for Samaritans by an experience I had this year. This year, I spent time in a psychiatric hospital because I was suffering from addiction. I had kept it a secret from everyone. To the point that it almost killed me. “In hospital, I heard first-hand reports from other people, also battling addiction, about the help they received from Samaritans. Samaritans were a big reason why those people went on to get help for their addictions and mental health issues. I wish I had opened up about my addiction sooner. If I had, it would have saved so much of my health and hurt to others. “I decided to be open about my experience of being addicted to codeine as I know it's a big problem in Ireland, which not many are talking about. Like I did, people feel ashamed. Once I started talking to my family and friends, everything got better for me. There really is power in talking and sharing. That’s why I feel Samaritans is so important. “I'm a new person now since I opened up and am beating my addiction. My friends and family have been very supportive of everything I have done in my recovery journey. Including this challenge. I really hope I can raise a good amount of money for Samaritans on the 21st of December, the longest night of the year. I will be working extremely hard for every donation.” 💚 Thank you to Mark for sharing his story and taking on this incredible challenge for Samaritans. 💚 Please share your words of support for Mark in the comments!

💚 Tomorrow is Samaritans' Longest Night! 💡 Look out for buildings & landmarks around Ireland lighting up green to raise awareness of Samaritans. ✨ And make sure to share a photo or video to social media, tag us and use the hashtag #SamaritansLongestNight 💚

💚 Just 2 days until #SamaritansLongestNight! Hundreds of buildings are lighting up green for Samaritans’ Longest Night this Saturday, December 21st. Will your workplace join us? 💚 Sign up today! 👇 https://lnkd.in/e6bvHvfM

Next Wednesday will be the 28th Christmas Day that Valerie has spent answering calls to the Samaritans helpline: "Christmas Day can be an extra hard day for some people; all the consumerism of Christmas can really impact people living in poverty or people who are alone and have no family. It's also a time when people reflect more strongly on loss – for many callers, it's the first Christmas without someone they love. "I clearly remember a caller one Christmas Day asking me when I answered the phone what day it was. When I replied that it was Christmas Day, the caller was so relieved as she found the adverts relentless on the TV for the previous four weeks. She was so sick and tired of it, because it didn't reflect her Christmas, which was one of utter loneliness. We stayed on the phone for quite a while... She was so grateful to be having a conversation with another human. "Nothing comes between me and my duty to Samaritans on Christmas Day. My kids grew up with it, and even now, when they are grown up and married and have homes of their own, the question is always, 'What time are you in Samaritans on Christmas Day, Mam?'" 🎄 This Christmas Day, over 100 volunteers like Valerie will answer over 1,000 calls for help from callers around Ireland. That’s more than 1,000 times when people feel they have no one to turn to, so they turn to Samaritans. 💚 We're here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including Christmas Day. Call free, day or night, on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie