An influx of funding and volunteers has allowed a local nonprofit to reinstate its 24-hour suicide prevention hotline.

Lawrence-based Headquarters Counseling Center began offering the 24-hour service again at midnight on Sunday, Executive Director Andy Brown said. Since late 2013, the hotline only has been staffed locally during daytime and evening hours. Calls made to the hotline overnight were sent to a call center in St. Louis.

“This means a lot,” Brown said of the restoration of service. “We have a personal connection to what resources are available here locally, and we understand what is going on in the community that may give us some useful insight.”

Brown, who began serving as executive director last month, said Kansas University’s Student Senate has made a new financial commitment to the service. He said the dollar amount of funding is scheduled to be finalized in August, but he said Headquarters was confident enough in the future funding that it moved forward in hiring a position to staff the overnight counseling position.

Brown said an increase in the number of volunteers also has made it easier to staff the overnight shift that runs from midnight to 8 a.m. Brown said the number of volunteers has increased to 40, up from 20 about six months ago.

“We still have a lot of work to do here, but we have a lot of momentum and we’re pleased in the direction we’re headed,” Brown said.

The hotline’s local number is 841-2345.