To the editor:

On a warm Sunday evening, community members of a very wide range of ages – some just learning to walk and dance, some amazing musicians, old friends and new ones – gathered together at The Replay Lounge to help keep “life support” available.

Nearly 50 times each day, kids and adults call or drop by Headquarters Counseling Center to reach a caring, supportive and skillful listener for life concerns. Our counseling, information and education services are “readily available” free of charge, 24 hours daily. But it takes more than our committed volunteer and paid staff members and board members to make this happen. It takes this community.

Sunday was a heart-warming example of how this works. The location and musicians lent their support to our cause, thanks in large part to friendships with our staff member Ann Dean.

The audience included folks learning about our center for the first time, bankers from our partner Peoples Bank, members of our suicide bereavement support group, former and current board and staff, and a whole lot of new and old friends. Thank you, Douglas County, for helping Headquarters help others.

Marcia Epstein, director,

Headquarters Counseling Center,
Lawrence