NEWELL—The monthly meeting for the Whatever It Takes Coalition (WIT) got underway on June 15 at Newell Christian Fellowship Community Hall. The coalition is a group of Butte County citizens united to do “whatever it takes” to help form cohesive partnerships within the community.
Meetings are usually held over the lunch hour and provide a free luncheon to those who come to the meetings. This month, a variety of salads, vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses and crackers were served. Cheesecake bites along with coffee and water were also provided.
As people were finishing up their lunch, Sabrina Harmon, director of WIT, led the Pledge of Allegiance and spent time introducing the meeting topic and speakers.
During the monthly meetings, one area organization spends the lunch hour educating attendees about the services it offers. This month, Brad Keizer and Adelina Trujillo with the Helpline Center shared information about local and national resources available to benefit community members.
Keizer shared information about the 211 system in South Dakota. When you dial 211, you get connected to local resources and referrals to community services, things like food, health care services, shelter, clothing, transportation and government services. It is available through phone call or text. “There’s always somebody willing to help connect you with thousands and thousands … of resources that we have in our large database,” he said. “In that big building in Sioux Falls, our headquarters, there are people that just update that data all day—that’s their thing, they love to do it, they’re really good at it, and they’re continuously connecting with groups like yours that say, hey, do you have a leadership change, an address change, a new program and make sure we have that at our fingertips.”
Trujillo is the mental health training coordinator for Helpline Center 988. When you dial 988, you will be connected to the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The number is available 24/7 and works nationwide. “988 a lot of times people think of this number as the suicide line—which it started as years ago, but since it has developed and really morphed into fitting the needs of society… yes, that is a suicide line, but we want to really, really, really educate people and really share with folks as much as we possibly can that it’s not just that,” explained Keizer. “If you know someone who’s having a rough day, if you have somebody that has anxiety, maybe substance abuse issues, depression, and things of that nature—there are certified counselors waiting to help that individual, or help you, or help your friend, help your neighbor, help your loved one, all the time.”
All of the numbers work together, and 211, 988 and 911 are all able to transfer within the system if more or less help is needed. The training duo led an exercise where a short scenario was read and then the group discussed which of the three numbers was appropriate to dial for help. Bottom line is, if you need help, reach out to one of the Helpline Center numbers and they will connect you with the right resources. “Simply put, we have a beautiful gift in that we get to work for an agency that’s main mission, main purpose, is just helping people,” said Keizer.
There is no charge for calling 988 or 211. “It’s all free. We’re nonprofit too, so we find our government funding and some fundraising sources and things like that, but that doesn’t affect the general public or any of you,” explained Keizer. “We do what we do on our end, so it can always be free for you and free to help whoever needs it.”
If anyone is interested in learning more about the Whatever It Takes Coalition, reach out to Sabrina Harmon. There is no monthly meeting scheduled in July, as she plans on setting up an educational booth for WIT during the Butte Lawrence County Fair in Nisland.
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