Help Hotline answers call to help Del. residents

August 30, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Help Hotline Crisis Center here answered calls for Delaware over the weekend while that state’s ContactLifeline crisis hot line was shut down by Hurricane Irene.

Help Hotline answered about 55 calls from Delaware residents, all from cellphones, between 7 p.m. Friday and 6:45 a.m. Monday in addition to 400 local calls during that time period, said Duane J. Piccirilli, Help Hotline chief executive officer.

Delaware’s ContactLifeline needed assistance because its staff and volunteers were evacuated along with the rest of the residents.

In an email to Piccirilli, Julia Fagnilli, crisis- services training coordinator for ContactLlifeline, said severe flooding and widespread power outages were expected.

“During inclement weather, we normally divert calls to our volunteers’ homes, but under these conditions we do not believe that we can ensure the maintenance of our operations for the first time in 36 years,” Fagnilli said.

Piccirilli said Help Hotline answered Delaware’s regular crisis calls and offered support and reassurance to people who were home alone, perhaps without power, and worried about their loved ones.

“We actually ran their hot line from Youngstown,” he said.

Piccirilli said he does not know why Help Hotline was contacted by Delaware for help: “Maybe because we said yes.”