Help bring light to someone in their darkest times.
Christmas may be a wonderful time of year, but for some people it's also a time when feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety can be overwhelming. For many people struggling to cope, ours will be the only helpline open when other services are closed.
Every call we answer could be the one that saves or changes someone's life - the call that ends with someone finding the strength to carry on.
By donating to our Samaritans Christmas appeal this year, you will help us ensure we're there to listen, so we can help someone like Stephanie find light in their darkest times.
Be a Samaritans Christmas Star. Together, we can change the story.
Donate today
Several years ago, Stephanie tried to take her own life on Christmas Eve. She had struggled for years to cope with the impact of a turbulent childhood, and at a time of year when so many people struggle, everything became too much. "I look at the pictures of that time and I'm smiling," she says. "But I wasn't OK at all."
She remembers dragging herself to her family home for Christmas, feeling terrible but trying to put on a brave face. It was only when she called Samaritans later that year that she finally felt able to be open.
I didn't know who to speak to, so one night I called Samaritans and let everything out. I remember feeling embarrassed and it took me a good five minutes to feel like I could get in the swing of what I wanted to say, and I remember crying for a good while. After the call, I started laughing as I thought about the man I'd poured my heart out to, but in my mind that was a good sign as it felt good to tell someone unreservedly how I felt and have someone listen.
That call marked a turning point for Stephanie, and she has contacted Samaritans many times since. "One call that stands out was when I spoke to a volunteer for four hours," she says. "I am so thankful to that man as he saved my life that night. It kept me here. I realised I didn't want to die. I just didn't want to hurt anymore. This was a pivotal moment for me."
Today, though she still has tough days, Stephanie is in a much better place. She sees Samaritans as having given her a lifeline, saying it's saved her life on more than one occasion . "I wake and I'm so thankful for the life I've got," she says. "If you would have said to me five years ago, this is where you are going to be, I would not have believed it."
Samaritans saved my life on more than one occasion when I felt close to the edge. It's been a real lifeline for me.
Stephanie, former Samaritans caller
By making a donation or fundraising for Central London Samaritans, you can help more people find a glimmer of light on their darkest days. You can be a Samaritans Christmas Star. Every donation you make helps our volunteers respond to more calls for help, at a time of year when Samaritans is a lifeline to so many people. Every £5 donation could fund a call for help that could save someone's life.