Mental Health America of the Heartland 2009 Volunteer of the Year

Kay has been a volunteer with Mental Health America of the Heartland for the pass two year. Her focus is the Compassionate Ear Warm Line program, a listening service for those in need of support. She shares her own experiences with callers and displays empathy while accepting the callers where they are. Kay is an excellent listener, so much so that callers often request her.

Enthusiasm about Compassionate Ear led Kay to share her original artwork and poetry to create a flier as a promotional tool. This flier helps get the word out to those in need. Kay is a very creative volunteer. She was part of an amateur acting group, READY for Anything Players and groups called the Johnson County Modies. This group used singing and performances to break the stigma of mental illness. She has been a peer support volunteer, a volunteer for Special Olympics and worked with a local consumer run organization that empowers individuals with disabilities to live independently.

With the support of Kay and other mental health consumer volunteers, the Compassionate Ear Warm Line helps over 300 callers each month. Her dedication to the warmline and its callers is inspirational to our other volunteers, members of the community, and coordinators of Compssionate Ear.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• MHAH