The following blog post was prepared by Chuck Arnold when we asked him the $100,000 question: “What would TheHopeLine do with another $100,000?”
Tim and Debbie Bishop
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As the CFO of the Dawson McAllister Association, TheHopeLine’s parent organization, Tim and Debbie Bishop asked if I might share my perspective on how much good work $100,000 might accomplish. Tim and I are both CPAs; therefore we are kindred spirits. We can envision all kinds of charts and graphs, performance ratios, projections and financial statements detailing the possible outcomes of $100,000 in additional revenues. And all of that is good. But this is, after all, a blog, so I chose to keep it simple by sharing three real-life examples of how $100,000 can make a difference in lives of the young people we reach.
1. In the past 3.5 years, TheHopeLine staff have completed over 7,700 suicide interventions. Additional revenues of $100,000 would enable us to save the lives at least 100 more young people. Guys like Sam, who had lost all hope…
When Sam contacted TheHopeLine, he had already had three aborted suicide attempts. On all three occasions, he had held a gun to his head, but “chickened out.”
Patiently, Sam’s HopeCoach was able to walk with him through his dark thoughts and the difficult circumstances that had brought them on. Despair gave way to hope, and with hope, Sam prayed, “Thank you for sending you’re [sic] guardian angel to prevent me from killing myself tonight.”
Sam concluded the conversation by saying, “I’m glad I talked to you first, ‘cause this time I wasn’t going to hesitate.”
2. In addition, $100,000 would help us keep TheHopeLine open 24/7, meaning we will be there for the thousands of teenagers and young adults who contact us yet this year looking for Hope. It would also help provide additional capacity during times of high demand for callers and chatters who cannot get through to a HopeCoach on their first attempt. (At times our lines are so busy we can only reach 60 percent of those trying to get through). We need to be there for girls like Jessica, who provides a brief glimpse into the confusion teenagers face today.
Jessica, who is just 16, revealed that she is torn between two guys – the one she was currently sleeping with and the guy she knew at church that she likes. After taking the time to listen to her pain and confusion, her HopeCoach focused the conversation on her sexual relationship. It did not take long for her deep feelings of guilt and shame to surface. She was able to verbalize how used and defiled she felt.
As the wall of silence she had maintained finally crumbled, Jessica admitted that her secrets were killing her inside. Her HopeCoach used this opportunity to share how Jesus could deal with the shame and sadness she was feeling. Jessica was genuinely surprised at this. Even though she was active in her church, she has almost no knowledge of Jesus.
Her HopeCoach walked her through the Gospel – to which Jessica responded with excitement, but admitted that she felt scared and unworthy. When her HopeCoach explained that admitting her guilt and unworthiness is precisely what Jesus asks of us, Jessica received Christ into her life without hesitation.
3. Additional revenues of $100,000 means our flagship radio show, Dawson McAllister Live, can continue to broadcast clear values and right thinking to hundreds of thousands of our kids and grandkids who are desperate for a moral GPS in their lives – who need to know how to break the cycle of poor choices, and learn to do the next right thing. Rachel is one of those listeners…
“I was in a really bad relationship with a guy. He cheated on me, he was doing drugs – I was just distraught, crying all the time, I wasn’t even myself. Everyone was telling me to leave him but I couldn’t”.
“One night I was listening to your show and you were talking to a girl in the same situation. Her friends were telling her to leave him, and you agreed. You told her to listen to them because they loved her. That gave me the push I needed to leave that relationship, and I’m so glad I did”.
A $100,000 investment in the TheHopeLine means we get the opportunity to connect every one of these needy ones to a specific partner who can serve their specific need – cutting…eating disorder…abuse…addiction –partners who can build a bridge of recovery one life at a time.
I could cite other outcomes, but you get the picture. Whatever level the gift thermometer reads at the end of TheHopeLine Tour, you can be sure the investment will be used to bring hope through Christ to America’s teens and young adults. God bless you, Tim and Debbie, for working to change the world one mile at time.
Sincerely,
Chuck Arnold
CFO
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If Chuck Arnold’s post compels you to donate to TheHopeLine, you can pledge your support at this webpage. Your tax deductible gift can make a difference in the lives of hurting teens and young adults.