Year-end Holiday Anxiety And Stress Reliever

Holiday Hopeline Flyer

Sonora, CA — COVID-19 triggers added medical and emotional stress this Christmas, a friendly voice on the other end of the line could help lessen those impacts.

This is the second time that local churches have banned together to help those needing extra support during the coronavirus pandemic. As reported here in April, the Hopeline was launched to help those isolating at home express their emotions and then shut down several months later when the virus numbers remained low. The idea was spearheaded by Tuolumne County Supervisor Anaiah Kirk who gives this reason for switching the lines back on, “It has opened back up…due to the increased levels of fear, depression and anxiety in our community in regard to COVID-19.”

That anxiety that has been acerbated as California sets two records in the past day of 2 million COVID-19 cases, more than any other state, and 19,000 hospitalizations, as reported here. The Hopeline is manned by volunteers. Kirk adds, “Hopeline is not a hotline and is not taking the place of the Behavioral Health crisis line (533-7000) but is here to support the behavioral health burdens which are rapidly increasing due to the pandemic.”

The hotline operates Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The number to call is 209-533-7991.