Telling our Stories

June 2025 | Newsletter

For Tasha* the last six weeks have been encouraging and enlightening as a Phone and Chat Support Worker. She finds it heartwarming when people who connect trust her enough to share their stories with her and touching when they thank her for listening. Tasha is aware she is not able to solve the caller’s problems but is gratified that she has helped the person see a glimmer of hope amidst their challenges, and in some cases refer the person to further help or lifesaving intervention.

As a recent counselling graduate of a Fraser Valley Christian college, Tasha is Telecare’s primary Chat Support Worker who helped us launch social chat in April. She also answers calls from those who still prefer interacting by phone. 

Tasha finds that the conversations differ depending on the medium used. People who contact Telecare by phone are often older and will frequently include loneliness as an issue, while those who choose to message the service through Chat tend to be younger -- late teens to early twenties and the conversation will rapidly turn to what is bothering them most. Commonly, people who phone engage in more casual conversation before sharing their concerns, whereas, with Chat the visitor can go deep quickly. Tasha has noticed that those who message the Chat service often seem to process their thoughts and feelings as they type them. This additional benefit of messaging, combined with the Chat Support Worker’s skilled questioning can help the person gain hope that life can become better. 

Thank you, Tasha, and all our Telecare volunteers, for answering the phone, and responding through chat support. Your compassionate care is making a real difference.

*Name changed for confidentiality