Helpline Volunteer Finds Belonging at Samaritans While Supporting Others 

In 2020, Niklas searched for ways to give back to the community. He attended an informational session about volunteering on the Samaritans Helpline and began his training shortly thereafter.

“I was looking for human connection, something that allowed me to help people directly.”

Niklas has found that connection. The 24/7 Helpline—part of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—offers free, confidential, nonjudgmental support to people who are feeling suicidal, lonely, or depressed.

When he first started answering calls on the Helpline, Niklas thought helping people would mean always finding the right words to say to a caller or offering solutions to others’ problems.

“Samaritans taught me that people often don’t need us to fix their pain. There’s a lot of value in sitting with other people’s sadness and just being there with them.”

Many people who Niklas speaks with on the Helpline come away surprised by how helpful it is to have someone listen. “Sometimes, they’re surprised by the simplicity of just being able to say out loud the things that they have been ruminating over.”

A Life-Changing Experience

Niklas has found that people call the Helpline for a wide variety of reasons. Some young people call when they are struggling in school or dealing with pressure from family to perform at a high level. Some older individuals deal with loneliness, depression, and a lack of human connection after losing a friend or family member.

“The Helpline gives people an opportunity to share dark or difficult thoughts with someone who’s trained to be there with them and listen without judgment. Having someone to hear those thoughts and be there with you is very freeing.”

Niklas says his experience on the Helpline has changed how he communicates with his family and friends. It even motivated him to change careers. After spending years as an IT professional, he is working to become a mental health counselor.

I’ve learned the value of being present for people. That’s more important than saying the right thing or impressing people with powerful advice.

In addition to volunteering on the Helpline, Niklas ran for Team Samaritans in the 2023 and 2024 Boston Marathons® and 2025 TCS New York City Marathon and has participated in the annual Samaritans 5K.

“Working on the Helpline has changed me in so many ways. Taking part in events like the 5K has allowed me to connect, human to human, with people that are equally interested in helping others. Those things have helped me stay connected and feel like I belong at Samaritans.”