John Muir Health and the Taylor Family Foundation are pleased to sponsor the Contra Costa Crisis Center’s second annual “Help, Hope, Walk” 5K Walkathon, a fundraiser and community event at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek, on May 19 at 10 a.m.
The walkathon will raise money for the non-profit Contra Costa Crisis Center, which provides 24-hour hotlines for suicide intervention, crisis and grief counseling support. The agency operates one of the largest grief counseling programs in California, provides youth violence prevention services and is the designated 211 referral provider of health and social services in Contra Costa.
“Our goal is to help people stay alive and safe and to connect meaningfully in their community,” said the Contra Costa Crisis Center’s Crisis line/211 Director Judi Hampshire. “The fundraiser helps support life-affirming, as well as life-saving, services.”
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Established in 1963, Contra Costa Crisis Center also handles all local calls for two national suicide crisis lines—(800) Suicide and (800) 273-TALK—as well as after-hours calls for both Child and Adult Protective Services. Last year the Center responded to 65,000 calls, skillfully engaged with almost 4,000 callers at risk for suicide and did 1,380 follow-up calls with 329 individuals at medium to high risk for suicidal behavior. The Center also provided grief counseling to nearly 900 youth and adults.
“As a leading health care provider and employer in our community, John Muir Health is committed to supporting and building partnerships with organizations like the Contra Costa Crisis Center that provide care for those in need throughout the communities we serve,” said Alice Villanueva, senior vice president of Human Resources at John Muir Health.
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Tickets for the event start at $20 per person, or $30 for a family of four. All registered walkers receive a T-shirt, pre-walk refreshments, lunch and live entertainment. Check in is at 9 a.m. with a 10 a.m. expected start. More than 300 walkers and volunteers are expected at this year's event. For more information and to register, go to www.crisis-center.org or contact Judith Parker at (925) 939-1916, ext. 134, or judithp@crisis-center.org.
About the Contra Costa Crisis Center
The Contra Costa Crisis Center answers the Contra Costa County's 24-hour crisis, suicide, child abuse, elder abuse, grief, and homeless crisis lines. The agency also operates one of the largest grief counseling programs in California, provides a variety of youth violence prevention services, and is the designated 211 information and referral provider for Contra Costa County. For additional information about the center and its program and services call (925) 939-1916.
About John Muir Health
John Muir Health is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health care organization located east of San Francisco, serving patients in Contra Costa, eastern Alameda and southern Solano Counties. It includes a network of 925 primary care and specialty physicians, more than 6,000 employees, medical centers in Concord and Walnut Creek, including the county’s only trauma center, and a Behavioral Health Center. The health system also offers a full-range of medical services, including primary care, outpatient, lab and imaging services, and is widely recognized as a leader in many specialties – neurosciences, orthopedic, cancer, cardiovascular, emergency and high-risk obstetrics care. For more information, visit www.johnmuirhealth.com.
