Thursday, June 28, 2012

The scoop on the Trevor Project

ORGANIZATION: The Trevor Project          
HOURS:24/7
MAIN CONTACT:None (Just call the line to talk to someone awesome)
RATING: 5/5


The Trevor project has various programs dedicated to the improvement of the lives of LGBTQ youth and workshops to better educate and train those interested how to address topics like sexual orientation and gender identity, skills to prevent suicide in schools, as well as how language and behavior can impact LGBTQ youth. 

A major part of the project is the Trevor Lifeline which is the “only nationwide, around-the-clock suicide prevention and crisis intervention lifeline for LGBTQ youth. The Trevor Lifeline is a free and confidential service that offers hope and someone to talk to, 24/7. Volunteer Lifeline counselors staff three call centers” (Trevor Project Website). The number is 1-866-488-7386 (U.S. calls only). 

It is similar to Teen Link in the way that they have helpline and other online services, but the Trevor Project is directed specifically at helping LGBTQ youth. They also offer an online chat service called Trevorchat that runs form Mondays and Fridays between 1:00 PM Pacific (4:00 PM Eastern) and 9:00 PM Pacific (12:00 AM Eastern). In addition to that, they have “Ask Trevor” an online Q and A submission program, and Trevor Space which is a social networking site for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 and their friends and allies to foster a safe online community at www.trevorspace.org.
   
The Trevor Project has a whole host of volunteer opportunities but unfortunately you must be at least 18 years old to apply. If you want more information about volunteering check out this link: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/volunteers/opportunities.

They have an awesome website with a ton of information http://www.thetrevorproject.org. They are a pretty large organization and since they are based in Hollywood, California they also have a large community of celebrities that support them and attend big Trevor Project events which is pretty cool. From their website you can really tell that if you’re calling, you certainly aren’t alone because they get tens of thousands of calls each year and have fielded 200,000+ lifeline calls since the beginning of the organization in 1998, and there are 23,000+ Trevor Space members. 

There’s also a big group of people working to make the Trevor Project as great as possible including 600+ Active volunteers and 200+ Lifeline counselors. They even have a page on their website devoted to letting people know about their staff: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/staff. This includes profiles on the members with information like who their favorite LGBTQ hero is, which truly makes their organization seem more real. 

The Trevor project seems like a really great organization that was definitely founded with the needs of LGBTQ youth in mind. They seem very professional, but at the same time, very real and down to earth.

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