Wicklow People (Arklow)
The East Coast Samaritans office in Arklow will continue to provide a listening service for its callers throughout Level 5 restrictions.
Strict sanitation and social distancing measures are in place at the branch’s Main Street office to allow its volunteers to offer emotional support to callers through telephone calls and email.
A spokesperson for East Coast Samaritans said the branch is ‘very busy’ and ‘hectic’ with a high demand for the ‘much-needed service’.
The phonelines may be busy, but the spokesperson reassured anyone in need of support that calls to the service are always answered by a volunteer within its nationwide network of branches. Covid-19 restrictions mean that in-person meetings are suspended at the Arklow office for the foreseeable future.
The Samaritans offer a listening service day or night, for anyone who’s struggling to cope and who may need someone to listen without judgement or pressure.
‘Our volunteers really miss going to schools in the local area to give talks and create awareness. We hope it won’t be too long before we can do it again,’ the spokesperson added.
Like other charities, usual fundraising activities for the East Coast Samaritans are on hold due to Covid-19. A GoFundMe page has been sent up to help to cover the group’s overheads for the year. Anyone who can make a donation to support their work and wishes to do so is asked to visit www.gofundme.com/f/zr5btj-east-coast-samaritans.
Support from the Samaritans is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 116 123 free from any phone or by emailing [email protected].
Meanwhile, new signage has been erected outside the East Coast Samaritans office on the Main Street in Arklow.
The new sign was donated by ‘Signs of the Times’. The East Coast Samaritans branch expressed their sincere thanks to the company for making the sign at no cost to the branch.
East Coast Samaritans would like to thank everyone at the Wicklow People office Arklow for taking the time to put this article together and publishing it on 11.11.2020 in the newspaper.