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All services provided by CONTACT Altoona are free, confidential, and anonymous:

Helpline Services: A caring voice as close as the telephone! At some point in all our lives we have felt the silence of fear, depression, and anxiety. We may turn to family or close friends and just having someone to talk to makes a difference. If you feel you are all alone, there is a place to call. Someone will be there who will listen. Someone will be there who will care. Helpline is staffed 365 days per year by caring dedicated volunteers. Our volunteers have undergone intensive training by professionals in our community. Since 1982 CONTACT Altoona has helped people in the greater Blair County area find solutions to a variety of problems including: Crisis Situations, Drug and Alcohol Problems, Illness or Disability, Grief Stricken, or Loneliness or Depression. CONTACT Altoona's Helpline can be reached by calling (814) 946-9050.

Information and Referral Services: CONTACT Altoona is considered the source for Information and Referral services throughout the Blair County area. Individuals may have a myriad of problems when they call the CONTACT Altoona Helpline. CONTACT Altoona volunteers attempt to address each of the caller's needs and/or successfully refer the caller to the proper agency for help. CONTACT Altoona volunteers have access to information about hundreds of community, state and national services, such as mental health agencies, support groups, human service agencies and agencies that help with basic life necessities. For Information and Referral Services, please call the CONTACT Altoona Helpline at (814) 946-9050 or you may access a list of these services on this website.

Reassurance Program: The CONTACT Altoona Reassurance Program seeks to meet the needs of people who are living alone, isolated, aged, ill, or disabled. By placing a daily telephone call, at a pre-arranged time, we are offering a listening ear to many in our community. The purposes of the daily calls are:

  • To be assured that the person being called is doing all right and able to answer the telephone.
  • To share a few minutes in a friendly chat to let the person know someone cares about them.
  • To remind the person to take medications or to make sure that they are getting adequate nutrition and hydration.

CONTACT Altoona volunteers are people just like you who wish to be of service to others in their community. Each volunteer has received special training and has been commissioned in listening skills. CONTACT Altoona Reassurance Program provides daily personal contact by telephone to people who may be alone to check on their well being. If the CONTACT Altoona Reassurance call is not answered, indicating the possibility of a fall or serious illness, help is sent to the individual. Those who register for the Reassurance Program are given the number of CONTACT Altoona's Telephone Helpline to call when lonely or just need to know that someone cares.
For more information please call the CONTACT Altoona Office at (814) 946-0531.

Training Program: If you like to help other people, CONTACT Altoona needs you!!! A CONTACT Altoona volunteer provides valuable services to the community. The training program at CONTACT Altoona prepares people like you for telephone duty on CONTACT Altoona's Helpline. It is a program focused on self-awareness, listening skills and knowledge of the human service resources of Blair County.

The program is rewarding, offering opportunities for personal and professional growth and a way to give meaningful service. For more information or for information on our next training class please call the CONTACT Altoona Office at (814) 946-0531.