Everything you wanted to know about Samaritans...
How did Samaritans Begin?
In 1981, a farsighted group of concerned community members met to talk about starting a program to reduce the incident and impact of suicide in the Monadnock Region.
What is a non-profit?
A unique advantageof becoming a non-profit is that Samaritans is eligible to apply for and receive community grants and funding contracts. The money is given to Samaritans and as long as we follow the rules of a "gift giver" we never have to repay it. At this time there is no state or Federal funding for suicide prevention so we are forced to rely on our generous contributors. A non-profits stability is and success depends on on the dedication and expertise of its staff and board members along with the clarity of its direction, goals, and mission.
Who owns Samaritans? Why is there a board of Directors?
No one person or group "owns" Samaritans and so as a non-profit, we are required to have a volunteer board of directors. A board member agrees to a term of three years volunteering between40 and 50 hours of their timeeach year to benefit Samaritans.
How do board members help Samaritans?
In exchange for learning all about suicide and suicide prevention, board members give Samaritans the benefit of their skills. For example, marketing people help with questions about how we tell the community about our services and accountants help with money questions. Samaritans does not have the money to hire these people, so we borrow their skills. Board members are our ambassadors to the community, helping others understand how important our services are.
