The Waterford branch of the Samaritans, like 21 others on the island, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
On the ground floor in the back, tea and coffee are on tap while volunteers man the phones in small open-sided booths facing a small kitchen and seating area. Just inside the front door is a room for drop-in callers who can enter and leave discreetly.
Upstairs, the bedroom and shower facilities in use on the overnight shifts confirm that being a Samaritan involves real commitment, combined with total discretion.
Last year, RTÉ's Prime Time filmed then-regional director Anne Woodward, who spoke about what she had learned about loneliness from her 25 years as a Samaritan.
"Loneliness is very often mentioned in calls – not necessarily from the caller, but actually very often from me as a Samaritan," Anne said.
"I would ask somebody: Are they lonely, and how is that affecting them? And it's very deeply affecting. It's something that people just maybe don't want to talk to their friends about because they feel they're surrounded by people and they shouldn't be saying they're lonely but loneliness a state of mind it's not it's not actually anything to do with whether I've got people around me or whether I haven't."
Calls can come at any hour of the day from all types of places. Some come in the middle of a supermarket shop – not all are living alone with time on their hands. And many callers who describe themselves as lonely are surrounded by family – and, in pre-pandemic times, work colleagues. Whatever their situation, they feel the need to reach out to someone outside of their immediate circle for a listening ear.
"Confiding loneliness I think is difficult and I feel that some people think that being lonely is actually shameful and, if I feel ashamed about something, I'm much less likely to talk about it," said Anne.
If loneliness is one of the last taboos, there are many volunteers who are willing to make a connection with people they will never know. Samaritans in Waterford are a typical mix of the national profile. Many are retired and want to give something back to their community. Some have been through bad times themselves and want to use their life experience to help others. This age profile posed extra challenges when the pandemic struck.
The first lockdown had a big impact on the day-to-day running of the Samaritans.
A large number of older volunteers could not show up in person while cocooning was in place. Because of the intensity of some of the calls – around one in five involve suicidal feelings – it is not possible for volunteers to take calls remotely. They need to have the support of fellow volunteers and group leaders around them.
Although the organisation did not notice a huge increase in the number of calls because they are "always busy", they did notice that the duration of the calls got longer.
To continue the 24-hour service, younger volunteers doubled their shifts from the usual three hours a week to six. While Level 5 restrictions were in place, many continued to do so.
The branches must maintain strict protocols and have a bubble system in place. Prime Time spoke to Dublin Samaritans volunteer director Anne Vaughan outside their headquarters on Marlborough St.
She told us: "Roughly a third of our callers would refer in some way to Covid. 40% of our callers will refer to loneliness. All these things are related. If you are lonely or feeling down, and you have mental health issues and physical health issues, a pandemic will make it more difficult for you."
Callers have all sorts of financial worries. Some have become unemployed through the pandemic and are worried that they will lose their home.
For many, feelings of isolation do not come from being physically alone. They may be stuck at home in a small apartment and are trying to work from home and take care of young children.
As Anne describes: "All of it leads to a sense that ‘I can’t cope’ and people may get overwhelmed by how they are feeling. They feel in a dark place, in a black hole. And in the talking they may feel a bit better but maybe not. And at the end of the call we tell them that we are always here."
The challenges posed by Covid have made the act of volunteering even more difficult for those willing to step up and help others. But this has not deterred them. Anne is proud of the commitment of her colleagues, but is keen to emphasise that they don’t see it as a one-way street. Samaritans will say that they get more from doing what they do than what they give. That they are privileged to do what they do.
Not everyone has to sign up to become more aware of those around us who might be struggling to cope. We can all learn from the experience of voluntary organisations like Samaritans.
"I think we could all be much more aware," Anne said. "One day there was a woman sitting beside me on the bus in tears and I just said to her 'are you okay?’"
"And she immediately started to tell me what the problem was – and it didn't take much – but I could have said 'well it's none of my business and I shouldn't ask that'. But this is something I've learned from Samaritans – actually ask the direct question. And if somebody doesn't want to tell you, they won't, but if you haven't asked you won't find out."
You can contact Samaritans on their 24-hour telephone helplines at 116 123 or on their 24-hour email helplines at jo@samaritans.ie
