A voice in the darkness: a Samaritan's night shift

We hear from people who may be sad, lonely, drunk, sleepless, wired on their drug of choice or necessity, desperate or suicidal. They may need to call us to ground themselves for the day ahead or just to have someone to offload onto. They may want a chat. They may just need to know they aren’t the only person awake in the country.

I have no idea which of these will be on the end of the line when I pick it up and use the well-known ‘Hello, Samaritans, can I help?’ Sometimes all I can hear is sobbing. I wait and murmur soft words letting them know I am here, that I can hear their pain. Maybe they start to talk; maybe they put the phone down. It’s ok: they may call again. They may have just needed to hear a voice. I’ll never know.

If they talk, I’ll listen. I’ll try to help them untangle their thoughts, worries and fears. Sometimes I’ll get it right; other times I won’t. Sometimes we make a difference and those callers tell us that we or another Samaritan has helped them see that there is another path or supported them to make it through another day.

I never know in advance what kind of call I’ll get and I’ll never get to know what happened next. We gain a snapshot of someone’s life, problems and difficulties and we hold their hand for the time they are on the phone. It’s humbling at times to be trusted as a voice in the darkness, to walk a short way alongside them, to listen and to try to understand. We don’t give advice; we don’t judge. We listen, support, affirm and sometimes laugh.

Being a Samaritan is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I get support and friendship from other volunteers. There’s always someone to talk things through with after a challenging call.

We always need volunteers. If anything I’ve written makes you want to be part of this amazing organisation, have a look on the website and see if there is a role for you. We are there 24/7. There is a small office tucked away in over 200 places across the UK and Ireland where volunteers like me support people through their hardest times.

Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 or email via [email protected]. Visit samaritans.org for more information on becoming a volunteer.