Talk Times: Local volunteers providing opportunities for people who may be in need of someone to talk to
by Lissa Blake
Sometimes having a real conversation with another human being can really help a person’s state of mind. “Everyone is dealing with a lot of stuff,” said Pastor Grant Vander Velden of First Presbyterian Church in Waukon.
Vander Velden said following the COVID-19 pandemic, when human interactions were at an all-time low, he started hanging out in coffee shops, just to get back to being around people and to be more available for others. “I started having these incredible conversations with people,” he said. “Sometimes you just need some assurance that you are not the only one.”
Vander Velden hosts weekly Talk Times Wednesdays, from 3-5:30 p.m. as a specific time for people to stop in at Aztec Parlor on Main Street in Waukon and simply visit with him.
MATT HOWE TRIBUTE
On a related path, since the death of her husband, Matt Howe, six years ago, Rachelle Howe of Waukon is always looking for creative ways to support and educate people about mental health. Through the Mental Health Today Matt Howe Tribute (MHT) Endowment, Howe uses donations from the endowment to help bring awareness to those who might be struggling with their mental health.
Past donations from the endowment have helped provide patients rides to mental health doctor appointments, funded QPR (Question, Persuade, Respond) training and more. “Out of the QPR training, we found a number of people who were interested in volunteering to host events or to just listen if someone needed to talk,” said Howe. Howe said she is excited about how many people are interested in being a listening ear and hopes more people will take advantage of some of the services available.
One of this year’s MHT projects is a partnership with Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Home Health Care to market its newly-created Allamakee County Resource
Guide. Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care/Allamakee County Public Health has a QR MHT code that will link anyone in the county with a new 50-page resource directory for all services in Allamakee County. The QR code and guide are available on the Veterans Memorial
Hospital website, under the www.veteransmemorialhospital.com/service/community-and-home-care/ link, and also on the Allamakee County Economic Development (ACED) website. The guide contains information on many resources serving Allamakee County residents such as housing, mental health care, unemployment, addiction, finances, health care, long-term care, Veterans services, grocery shopping, reporting of crimes, and support for many, many other concerns in today’s world.
The Matt Howe Tribute assisted VMH in promoting the QR code for the guide at the Allamakee County Fair this summer by sponsoring promotional items which showcased the QR code. “The guide is so wonderful. It is all-encompassing of the needs of our residents, from medical to daycare
needs,” said Howe.
Pastor Matthew Majewski of Center Baptist Church in rural Lansing and his wife, Sarah, recently started The Hope Center in downtown Lansing, located next door to the Post Office on Main Street. “We are looking to fulfill whatever needs the community has,” said Sarah. As part of that mission, Sarah said they decided to host their own Talk Times, every Saturday evening, from 6-8 p.m., with those sessions beginning this Saturday, September 21. “Everyone is welcome. Whether they need hope, help or just a listening ear,” said Sarah.
POSTVILLE
Karla Johnson, pastor at Community Presbyterian Church in Postville, will host Talk Times every Tuesday, from 3-5 p.m. “But I want people to know that my door is open, 24/7,” she said. Howe emphasized Talk Times are meant for people to talk about anything they would like to. “The stress of life, work, etc… even good things to visit about,” she noted.
To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, September 18, 2024 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.
