CONTACT supporters take a cruise to celebrate 30 years of service
By: Christian Kirkpatrick
Guests felt the love Saturday night as they entered the Educational Testing Service’s Chauncey Conference Center.
At the door, they heard the soaring theme from "The Love Boat." Inside, a very dapper David Letcher, dressed as the ship’s Captain Merrill Stubing, and Jane MacDonald, as Vicki, the captain’s daughter, welcomed everyone on board.
Here and there were life-sized posters of the classic TV show’s crew and rows of life preservers.
Those life preservers not only reminded guests of the gala’s theme "The Love Boat Cruise" they symbolized the organization that the event was benefiting. CONTACT of Mercer County organizes volunteers who staff crisis and suicide hotlines, call lonely homebound seniors, and donate their services to charities throughout Mercer County.
CONTACT’s volunteers man two national and three New Jersey hotlines, 24 hours a day, every day. "We’re here to let people express themselves," said Eleanor Letcher, executive director. Callers include the lonely, the overwhelmed, those with mental illness, even those dreading the holidays.
"We’re always looking for volunteers," added Ms. Letcher. They must be open-minded and take a training class that meets for three hours for 13 weeks. The next class will begin in February.
REASSURANCE is CONTACT’s program for the homebound. Volunteers call 140 local seniors daily, just to chat and check up on them. According to gala chair Bernadette Gur, this program is helping some of them stay in their homes. All some need is a little human contact. "We’re the only ones they talk to sometimes," said Ann Demski, a volunteer from Pennington.
REASSURANCE also needs volunteers. Training is necessary but far less demanding than for the hotline. R.S.V.P. (Retired Senior and Volunteer Program) matches adults who are at least 55 years old with organizations that need volunteers. Participants receive supplemental liability insurance as well as travel reimbursements from CONTACT.
Both CONTACT and "The Love Boat" started about 30 years ago, and this may be the reason that the show was chosen for the gala’s theme. But another reason may be that both CONTACT and "The Love Boat" are unabashedly about affection in one case romantic passion; in the other, the more selfless kind that makes one want to reach out to others in need.
Jill Whelan, who played Vicki on the program, seemed to appreciate the importance of CONTACT’s work. It’s an invaluable organization, she declared, that allows people to talk things out when they’re feeling desperate.
Fans of "The Love Boat" will be happy to hear that Ms. Whelan now lives in nearby Bucks County. She is the mother of three, including a 17-month-old toddler, and teaches acting at the Chapin School in Lawrence.
Lynn Doyle, political director for Comcast’s Channel 8 and host and executive producer of "It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle," has long supported CONTACT. For many years, she has served as the gala’s mistress of ceremonies and honorary co-chair. She says that in the course of her reporting she has seen the devastation that suicide can wreak in a family. Ms. Doyle supports CONTACT for its round-the-clock efforts to prevent this kind of sorrow.
For 24 years, Yardville resident JoAnn Hoffman has been part of these efforts as a CONTACT volunteer. During this time, she has saved one life and dissuaded a man from killing his wife, daughter and mother-in-law. "I know my life means something," she said, "because I’ve helped someone else."
About 150 guest attended "The Love Boat Cruise" dinner-dance. The affair raised more than $70,000. As part of the festivities, two business leaders were honored for their for their efforts on behalf of service organizations: Helene M. Garcia, director of community and strategic initiatives at Merrill Lynch, and Jerry Fennelly, the president and founder of NAI Fennelly.
Sponsors for "The Love Boat Cruise" included ETS, Merrill Lynch and Nassau Broadcasting.
CONTACT of Mercer is funded in part by the Greater Mercer United Way and the Mercer County Division of Mental Health.
Readers interested in inquiring about volunteer opportunities for any of CONTACT’s programs should call (609) 883-2880 or write to [email protected]. Classes begin Feb. 20 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ewing. There is a choice of morning or evening sessions.
CONTACT’s hotlines are (609) 896-2120 and (609) 585-2244. It also operates a line especially for children and teens, (609) 896-4434. Lines dedicated specifically to suicide prevention are (800) 784-2433 and (800) 273-8255, but crisis calls are accepted by all lines.
On the Web: www.contactofmercer.org.

