About Us
Levin Samaritans
Things on your mind?
Call us 24/7 free on 0800 72 66 66
Kia Ora… Our regional centre welcomes callers from all diversities, facing any of life’s complex issues. We are here to listen and give you support.
Ways we can help you
Our free 0800 72 66 66 24/7 free phone line is open anytime if you need to talk.
Hundreds of people call us and tell us their troubles and fears. They also tell us what helps them to get through.
Our vision is that fewer people die by suicide.
To achieve this, we are committed to the following values:
Listening, because exploring feelings alleviates distress and helps people to reach a better understanding of their situation and the options open to them.
Confidentiality, because if people feel safe, they are more likely to open up about their feelings.
People making their own decisions wherever possible because we believe that people have the right to find their own solutions and telling people what to do takes responsibility away from them.
Being non-judgemental, because we want people to be able to talk to us without fear of prejudice or rejection.
Human contact, because giving people time, undivided attention and empathy meets a fundamental emotional need and reduced loneliness and despair.
Call us free on 0800 726 666
You can help by Volunteering
Are you a good listener?
We are always on the lookout for new people to join our Levin team of volunteers, to provide emotional support to our callers. We look for people with the ability to listen without passing judgement.
You don’t need any formal qualifications or previous experience but a natural ability to listen and remain open minded is essential.
We offer full training and ongoing support. The training can now be carried out remotely from the comfort of your own home if required, or at our offices in Levin. All training is free and consists of 2-hour, weekly sessions for 6 – 8 weeks. Then the new volunteer is buddied with an experienced volunteer for “on the phone” training.
All our volunteers receive on going mentoring and support at monthly meetings held in Levin, where additional training is offered and there is also a chance for some social networking.
Typically, once you are trained you will be asked to work one 2-4-hour shift per week, at your convenience.
As one of our valued volunteers you’ll get to meet people from all walks of life who share the same beliefs. You’ll develop a confidence and the expertise to turn your natural caring instinct, into positive, even life-changing support by phone.
You can make a donation
Samaritans are all volunteers, but we need funds to support our regional services and pay for everything from the power bill to the telephone lines that callers call us on 24/7.
This donation will go directly into funding the costs that are incurred by our local office.
If you would like to donate any amount this would be most welcome.
You can donate directly into our account no: 03 0667 0311245 000. Please use the reference “Donation” and your first and last name for our reference, thank you.
You are entitled to a tax deduction if you have a receipt for your donation. To obtain a receipt please email us at levin@samaritans.org.nz with your first and last name, the amount and we will email you back a receipt. Thank you. We welcome any donation you can afford
Thank you for making a difference and helping us to help others
Call us free on 0800 72 66 66
A big thank you
A big thank you to our wonderful volunteers for supporting our local centre. Either on the phone lines or in the office. We could not provide this service without you.
A big thank you also to our funders:
Horowhenua District Council
TG Macarthy Trust
Z – Good in the Hood
Lotteries
Helen Graham Trust
New World Levin
Aotearoa Gaming Trust
Eastern & Central Community Trust
Community Organisation Grants Scheme
Regional initiatives
We are proud to have taken part in the following local initiatives over the past 12 months.
- Age on the Go at Levin Events Centre
- Harvey Bowler Avenue of Trees at Salvation Army
- Volunteering Expo at Youth Space, Te Takere
Call us free on 0800 726 666
The History of The Levin Branch
The Levin branch first opened on Tuesday 5th April in 1988, with the help of the Wellington branch who agreed to provide the rules and guidelines. There were 2 phones available and 38 volunteers at that time.
A local agency provided financial assistance, sponsored publicity as well as a legal consultant. The group were also provided with a $1000 establishment grant from the Department of Social Welfare.
The branch also ran an art competition with the local college to find a poster design. This poster has been used until this day (2020).
In the beginning, the service operated daily from 3pm – 11pm and through to 7am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with an answering service operating at other times.
After the first year, the branch had 50 Samaritans and they decided to increase their hours by two hours and open at 1pm. This was to give mothers of school age children a time they were able to call the service.
Calls at the Levin branch go up by about 5% every six months and reflect the whole spectrum of pain in the community.
During the years of operation, the centre has saved a considerable number of people from killing themselves at the time they rang.
From Levin records there is no doubt that the service is needed, and that it fulfils a need otherwise unmet in the local community.
Like other Samaritan centres, Levin receives funding from various sources and often apply to trust funds for financial aid.
