I arrived in Istanbul, Turkey this week, with the computer for our community center, and a luggage full of International House swag thanks to I-House Chicago’s generous donations to the project!

Over the last week we received a number of applications to serve as volunteers on our hotline, thanks to the daily social media posts from bakad and several other LGBTI+ NGOs in Turkey who agreed to circulate our project, but we decided to extend our recruitment period one week to make sure we have a full cohort of volunteers.

We had our first planning meeting with the two therapists who will be providing the bulk of the training, and learned about the issues and topics they saw as necessary to go over in the program. These include the fundamentals of providing emotional support, understanding risky cases (such as physical harm and suicide calls), and the most common call types. They will be getting back to us with a draft program, after which we will finally sign our contract.

Both of these psychotherapists have worked and volunteered on similar help lines, and they told us that for the longevity and success of a program like this, the most important thing is getting the correct group dynamics. Volunteer work only continues if people feel the good they do on a daily basis, enjoy the solidarity they share with like-minded individuals, and act with a sense of responsibility. They told us that we should organize social events and opportunities for our volunteers to get to know each other better. They also told us that the ideal group size is somewhere between 6 to 10, to make sure the line is tended to at all times, but the group is not too big to be incohesive. We will be following their advice as we form the hotline group and we will also explore different options in enlarging the group in the future.

In the meantime, we also met with several social workers through one of the representatives from bakad, and talked to them about the project. They were very excited about it and even agreed to work with us on a volunteer basis, not charging us at all! They will be providing two sessions of the training, and will help us compile and design the leaflets, posters, and other informational materials we will produce in the following months. It is this kind of solidarity that makes projects like this possible, and we feel indebted to their generosity.

Lastly, since my own trip to the site of the community center is fast approaching, I am trying to find a suitable place to stay which would still be in budget. With the earthquake, the rents are obviously very high, so I hope I will be able to find a room close to the bakad offices and the community center.