YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Help Network of Northeast Ohio successfully navigated the pandemic in 2021 and provided life-saving services to the community at a time when it needed it most.
“We met the challenge and came out stronger,” says Vince Brancaccio, CEO. “The pandemic put a strain on almost every part of our organization and our services, but our team pulled together and we helped a huge amount of people.”
In September, the network marked 50 years of providing suicide prevention and other needed services to the region.
“We handle more than 100,000 calls each year on the suicide/crisis hotline and information and referral 211 lines,” Brancaccio says. “Help Network has taken more than two million calls over the last 50 years, helping those in need.”
Help Network launched several initiatives designed to raise public awareness and fund suicide prevention programs.
Help Network’s first ever 5x5x5 Pumping Iron to Prevent Suicide fundraising event was held in September. The concept was created to raise awareness of the five people in Ohio who die every day by suicide. Also last year, the organization introduced the Break the Chain of Suicide campaign,