Become a TeenTalker

At TeenTalk, we welcome youth from all walks of life; there is no stereotypical TeenTalker. By seeking out diverse perspectives, we gain more insight and experience in issues facing the teens who contact us for support.

​The hours you volunteer during pre-service and on the TeenTalk line can count toward your senior project and community service hours.

Application

 

Volunteer without being a TeenTalker

Would you like to support TeenTalk without volunteering to answer calls, emails, and messages? We have lots of different opportunities! Click on the application and scroll down to see what you might be able to help us with.

​The hours you volunteer doing these different projects can count toward your senior project and community service hours.​

APPLICATION

What it's like to volunteer at TeenTalk

"Being a TeenTalker, has surprised me greatly. Being a very introverted and rather shy person, I was really nervous. However, as soon as I entered the room, all of my nerves went away. I was welcomed with open arms, but to the point where it was overwhelming. Volunteering has also better prepared me to deal with struggles I or people close to me face in my life, which is something I truly appreciate and grow from. Being a part of TeenTalk, I feel like I am really giving back the same things that helped me through tough times. There’s nothing like the feeling of helping someone, even just a little bit, and being a TeenTalker gives me that every time I volunteer."
– Eric, TeenTalk volunteer

"Being a TeenTalk volunteer has been amazing and TeenTalk has done a lot for me. It’s always a joy to talk with TeenTalk coordinators/adult mentors as well as fellow volunteers and make a lot of memories. Despite complications with COVID and Zooming, I’ve always felt I can be myself during a TeenTalk shift and there’s a lot of options to pass the time like talking with each other, playing a game or doing something personal. Being a volunteer on the line is also very rewarding so if you're interested in becoming a TeenTalk volunteer I strongly urge you to apply or reach out."
– David, TeenTalk volunteer

"When you go into the TeenTalk room, you’re welcomed by friendly faces and offered a chilled drink and an array of snacks. You get to deal with difficult and casual calls, knowing that at the end there will be someone there to give you feedback and debrief what happened. Whether you’re having a good or bad day there is always a listening ear. The mentoring isn’t one sided—your group at TeenTalk for the day is there for you. When you leave TeenTalk, you can go home and know that you were there for someone who might have had no one else, but you got to be that somebody."
– Bri, TeenTalk volunteer

"Emotions are strange and confusing and sometimes painful to deal with. When you volunteer at TeenTalk, you start to learn how to make sense of them and how to deal with them in a way that feels less like you’ve gotten hit by a car. We have to put ourselves out there and feel a little vulnerable in order to grow, emotionally and mentally, and TeenTalk makes that easier. Every week I have to venture out of my comfort zone, and broaden my perspective by talking with different people, but I get to do it in an environment filled with familiar faces, colorful posters, and inspirational quotes. Every week I get to help people feel better in some small way, and I get a little bit closer to understanding my own emotions."
– Denae, TeenTalk volunteer

"TeenTalk is on a hybrid schedule, and I volunteer from home. Volunteering at TeenTalk through Zoom still feels as if I hold a responsibility and make a difference in the
community. What I do every day depends, but volunteers make social media posts every weekday as a way to welcome someone who may want to reach out, and also as a way to share with others some positivity. Volunteers usually get “Ask Peppy’s” which are anonymous messages, but they also get calls, or messages through other platforms. Sometimes future volunteers join to complete their training by doing roleplays with the TeenTalk volunteer/s.” 
– Dahlia, TeenTalk volunteer

"Volunteering for TeenTalk has been one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in my entire lifetime. Every shift, I talk to people I might’ve never had the chance to meet in real life, and from every new person I meet, I learn  something new! I’ve come to understand the importance of not only being a listener, but also being a friend. Even though I will probably ever meet any of the people I talk to through TeenTalk, the connections we create will always stay with me. There’s something so special about speaking to a complete stranger—someone you don’t know anything about—and slowly getting to know them as a human being.” ​
– Maggie, TeenTalk volunteer

"As a TeenTalker, there is a lot of fun to be had. During my time volunteering, I have met a lot of very nice people. Everyone who works/volunteers here is great, as a person and at what they do. I really feel connected to my community here, getting to talk to all sorts of youth throughout the county. The people who I talk to are not always in crisis, but all of them want someone to talk to, whether it’s talking to us because they have no one else to talk to or because they need advice for tough situations. I really feel like I'm making a difference volunteering here!"
– Zach, TeenTalk volunteer

"While at TeenTalk you will face many interesting people whether from calls, emails, or other TeenTalkers, but every time you converse with them is another opportunity to grow and develop as a person as well as improve upon your empathy and sympathy skills. There are fun tasks to complete, many challenges to overcome, and of course snacks to eat. But the most valuable thing from being a TeenTalk member is, of course, the thought of making other people's lives more happy and healthy from the support and advice you give."
​– ​Barnaby, TeenTalk volunteer

The value of volunteering

"To me, TeenTalk is about taking care of others not because we have to, but because we want to.

"I helped teens who had no one else. I've been at a place where I myself have needed someone to talk to and felt so alone, so I grasp the importance of what TeenTalk is. TeenTalk​ is here to discuss depression, loneliness and self-confidence issues, as well as an abundant number of other topics. Helping teens is the goal. We boost their confidence and self-worth by showing compassion as well as validating who they are by telling them that they are normal, what they are feeling is common, and they are not alone.

"When you give service through TeenTalk, it's out of humbleness and the desire to help others. I want to make a difference: I want to change the lives of other teens because I understand their pain, and all of the energy these callers give in order to try to better themselves. I want to serve the community that served me because at one point I was a caller.

"Having the ability to change someone's entire day just by listening has been an extremely high moment because it shows to me what people need in their core: We need to have people there for us. We need people who genuinely care.

"That’s why I do what I do. People need to know they aren't alone and even the thought of being able to provide that for at least one person is a high moment.

"I've shown myself my own personal strength by being able to help others, and I've also shown myself how much I can make a difference by turning someone else’s day around. I've grown exponentially as a person: from someone who was not confident in their future to someone who has a plan.

"At TeenTalk, I've learned everyone has a story. People might not always see things the same way others do, and that's because everyone has their own perspective.

"I think the biggest thing I'm taking away from TeenTalk is an even bigger drive to help people. I’m a different person because I honestly didn't think I was important enough to make a difference in other people's lives, but I've grown to see how many lives one person touches."

​– Ivan, former TeenTalk volunteer and former caller