KEY WEST – Switchboard of Miami, Inc., which acquired the Helpline of the Florida Keys, will hold a community event during Key West’s Hemingway Days. On July 19, 2014, staff and volunteers from Switchboard and the Helpline of the Keys will run the Caribbean Street Fair from noon to nine that evening.
With an expected 70 vendors in attendance, this free event is sure to be fun for all ages. “Switchboard is proud and thrilled to continue the 31 years of excellence that Helpline of the Florida Keys has provided Monroe County,” said Catherine Penrod, CEO of Switchboard. All vendors’ fees directly support Switchboard’s work in the Keys and Monroe County, and the fair serves the organization’s biggest summer fundraiser in Key West.
Services currently provided by the Switchboard Keys division include the 2-1-1 hotline, an information and referral helpline that connects people with community, health and disaster services through a free 24/7 confidential phone service and searchable online database. By calling 2-1-1, callers are linked to a live, highly-trained crisis counselor who helps connect them with the appropriate services. Additionally, the Keys office provides an Alcoholics Anonymous helpline, Seniors Telephone Reassurance Program, Suicide and Prevention Training, LGBTQ Helpline, and general information and referrals hotline through its state-of-the-art contact center.
