Mental health challenges are an undeniable reality for countless individuals across communities. Whether it’s dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, or mental health conditions, many people face a constant battle to maintain their emotional well-being. For those working on the frontlines of mental health and trauma support, this battle is compounded by the stress of supporting others through their darkest moments. That’s why this September, Give an Hour is launching the Help the Helpers initiative, a crucial part of our End-of-Year (EOY) Giving Campaign.
Our goal is simple yet powerful: to raise $10,000 to provide essential mental health training for those who support our most vulnerable populations. With your help, we can equip professionals and volunteers with the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to protect their own mental health while serving others. By donating to this campaign, you become part of a movement that nurtures community resilience through sustainable, compassionate care.
Why “Help the Helpers” Matters
For frontline workers, the risk of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma is ever-present. These challenges don’t just affect the helpers’ ability to support their communities—they also lead to high turnover rates, staff shortages, and diminished morale within organizations dedicated to serving those in need. When those who help others struggle with their own mental well-being, it creates a ripple effect of suffering.
The Help the Helpers series aims to reverse this trend by providing comprehensive mental health training to organizations and individuals who serve trauma-experienced populations. These helpers include:
- Frontline community service agencies
- Trauma response organizations
- Non-profit entities
- Population-specific support providers and case managers
- Social workers, counselors, and healthcare providers
This training empowers participants with tools to not only assist others more effectively but also care for their own emotional wellness. By addressing self-care, empathy, and boundaries, we ensure that our helpers can continue to thrive, even in high-stress environments.
What Our Training Covers
Our Help the Helpers training is designed to provide participants with essential skills in emotional support and self-care. The comprehensive program includes:
- Active Listening & Communication: Developing skills to truly hear others and respond with empathy.
- Emotional Wellness, Trauma, and Mental Health: Understanding the complexities of trauma and how it impacts mental health.
- Empathy, Connection & Trust: Building meaningful relationships with those they serve.
- Finding the Best Support Sources: Identifying and referring individuals to appropriate mental health resources.
- Navigating Vicarious Trauma & Avoiding Burnout: Practical strategies to manage emotional tolls and prevent burnout.
- Self-Compassion and Reflective Practices: Encouraging helpers to practice kindness toward themselves.
- Setting Boundaries: Empowering helpers to protect their emotional energy by setting healthy limits.
- Risk Assessment & Communication: Teaching critical skills for recognizing and addressing high-risk situations.
This flexible training can be delivered virtually or in-person, with options for additional coaching and crisis planning. Each session is customized to the needs of the participating organizations, ensuring that the content is relevant, engaging, and impactful. We also offer both 2-day and 3-day training options, giving organizations the freedom to choose the format that best suits their schedules and goals.
Impact Beyond Training
At Give an Hour, we understand that mental health support doesn’t end when the training is over. That’s why we provide a range of follow-up services, including:
- Ongoing Support: Participants have access to resources and a 3-month check-in post-training to ensure continued success.
- Wellness Ambassador Program: After completing “Help the Helpers”, participants are invited to join our Wellness Ambassador program where they will start their journey with a self-paced course designed to empower individuals to be champions of mental health within their organizations and communities.
By offering continued engagement and growth opportunities, we aim to build a lasting culture of mental health awareness, care, and resilience in every organization we work with.
How Your Donation Can Make a Difference
Supporting our Help the Helpers campaign is a direct way to invest in the emotional well-being of those who dedicate their lives to helping others. Every dollar raised through this initiative will go directly toward providing training to frontline workers, allowing them to continue their essential work with renewed energy, confidence, and compassion.
We’ve set several giving levels to allow everyone to contribute at the level that feels right for them:
- $10: Every little bit helps. If every person reading this blog donates $10, we would be quadrupling our goal!
- $20: Provides essential materials, including workbooks and access to our online resources for one participant.
- $50: Covers the cost of a follow-up coaching session for one helper to ensure they continue to thrive in their role.
- $100: Helps sponsor a full day of training for a frontline organization, giving their staff the tools they need to prevent burnout and provide high-quality care.
Your donation, no matter the size, will make a profound difference in the lives of those who dedicate themselves to supporting our most vulnerable populations. Together, we can create a ripple effect that strengthens our communities from the inside out.
We invite you to stand with us and Help the Helpers. By contributing to this campaign, you’re not just donating to a cause—you’re investing in a movement. You’re helping frontline workers, case managers, social workers, and counselors learn the skills they need to thrive. You’re helping them care for themselves so they can continue to care for others.
As we work toward our goal of $10,000, we’re asking for your help to meet the growing need for mental health support in communities across the country. Your contribution could be the difference that keeps a mental health worker from burning out, or that empowers a social worker to help someone find the resources they need to heal.
Together, we can create a world where those who give so much to others feel supported, valued, and cared for. Thank you for your generosity, and for helping us continue this vital work.
Donate today and join the movement to Help the Helpers!
