Programs
It has always been the mission of The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands to accept incoming calls from people who are isolated, desperate, and even suicidal on our Crisis Lines. Coverage of these phone lines by trained, dedicated volunteers is as close to 24/7 as possible, and our major fund raisers help defray telephone expenses incurred.
Safe Place is a support group for those who have lost someone to suicide. The facilitators of this group are Samaritan trained and are suicide survivors themselves. Safe Place is a place for dealing with a unique grief that is often not understood by others. It honors and respects the needs of those who have lost someone to suicide, it provides unconditional emotional support, and it helps survivors gain strength and courage from one another. It is confidential, ongoing, and free to participants.
Our Teen Forums stress that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Samaritans help teens understand the importance of discussing their difficulties, understanding the risk factors of suicide, and recognizing warning signs in peers who may be feeling overwhelmed. Taking threats seriously, staying with someone who is in crisis, and getting help is essential. Tragedy can be prevented.
In the Senior Outreach Program, we encourage seniors who are not accustomed to reaching out for assistance to call our help lines as they face the challenges of living longer. We also make outgoing calls to seniors referred by Councils on Aging, in order to widen their support system. Volunteers, seniors, our Executive Director, and the Outreach Coordinators have an ongoing dialogue which provides the compassion of a human voice as well as a safety net for seniors throughout the Cape and Islands.
The goal of the BRAVO (Befrienders Raising Awareness of Veterans Outreach) program is to meet the needs of veterans and their families who are dealing with deployment issues, struggling with re-entry into normal every day living upon their return, and worrying that reaching out for help is a sign of failure.
Sponsors for these programs in 2010 include:
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Cape and Islands United Way
Massachusetts General Hospital
Nantucket Suicide Prevention Coalition
The C. Northrop and Alethea Marder Pond Foundation
The Falmouth Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation
Woods Hole Foundation
Cape and Islands Youth Suicide Prevention Project
Events
On Monday, June 28, The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands held their annual Golf and Bocce Tournament at Pocasset Golf Club. Designed by Donald Ross, acknowledged by leading experts as the game's greatest course architect, Pocasset Golf Club is recognized as one of the best examples of his genius.
We would like to express our appreciation to our Sponsors: Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation, Falmouth Toyota, Chapman, Cole & Gleason, Golf-ol-o-gy, Business Solutions, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Danby, Russ Lemcke and Meg Becker, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Snow, Dr. Peter Clark and Ellen Barol, and our Auction Donors: Adcco Inc., Green Mountain Inn, F.C. Phillips Co., Amy Hamilton Photography, Welfleet Clock Co., Homespun Gardens, Olga Mitchell 's Aerial Sightseeing, Vagabond View Gallery, Parker's Boatyard, New Seabury Country Club, Wianno Club, Willowbend Country Club, The Captain's Golf Course, and Woods Hole Golf Club. Many thanks, as well, to our Raffle Donors: Ladies Workout Express, Hy-Line Cruises, Pilgrim Belle Cruises, Kaleidoscope Toys, Cupcapes, On Cape Time, Leary's Amusements, Lawrence Gardens, 99 Restaurant, Golf-for-Less, and the Samaritan Board of Directors. Finally, we would like to thank our Advertisers: Tedeschi Food Shops, Glynn Law Offices, Green Pond Realty, and Denise Bonoli, Architect, in addition to our Individual Donors: Mr. and Mrs. Bill Kelly, George Jennings, Mr. and Mrs. John Valois, Susan Verner and William O'Connor.
Special thanks goes to tournament Co-Chairs Chris O'Brien and Mark Karas along with their dedicated Golf Committee who worked diligently for months to make this event a success. Congratulations to the winning J.J. Technology golf team members, and the winning bocce players, Rhoda Hagan and Olga Mitchell.
Our volunteers answered more than 21,000 calls on our crisis lines last year, and we are exceeding those monthly averages thus far in 2010. The number of seniors we are calling as part of our Senior Outreach Program has increased by 80%, and we have facilitated Safe Place support groups in Falmouth and Hyannis, as well as on Nantucket for 42 people who have lost someone to suicide. Monies raised from the tournament will help support these growing, vital programs, and we are deeply grateful to those who so enthusiastically supported this event.
Upper Cape Bocce Festival to Benefit The Samaritans
September 25, 2010
Falmouth Academy
Falmouth, MA
12:00-3:30 PM
Click here to register for our upcoming 2010 Bocce Festival.
Last Year's Picture Perfect Bocce Day
The 2nd Annual Upper Cape Bocce Festival, held to support The Samaritans, gathered 64 players on September 26, 2009 from 1:30 - 4:30 PM. Falmouth Academy graciously hosted the event on their athletic fields, The Falmouth Enterprise assisted on publicity, the Pepsi Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company of Sagamore Beach generously donated soft drinks, and PGM Landscaping of Falmouth was a sponsor for the second year. Prizes, tents and sound equipment were provided by "friends of befrienders".
Awards included: Best Costume - Peaches and Prunes, Greatest Travelers - Mighty Shamrocks from Dorchester, & Best Name - Snati-Ramas (Samaritans backwards).
Winning teams were: Division I - Everlasting Summer, Division II - Purple Pineapples, Division III - Bocce Belles, and Division IV - Killer Wombats.
Fifteen raffled theme baskets, plus a 50/50 raffle gave participanst a chance to end the day with a prize in hand. All, however, left proud to have contributed to the Samaritan programs so vital to the well-being of Cape and Island residents.
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