Our Mission
CONTACT of Ocean & Monmouth Counties, a non-profit, charitable organization, provides trained telephone listeners who respond to human needs 24 hours every day. This volunteer based organization offers free confidential crisis intervention, information on available resources, and referral to community services.
Our History
1975 – CONTACT of Ocean County opened its telephone lines to all Ocean County residents on December 1st following 9 months of intensive training involving a dedicated group of people who recognized a need in Ocean County for a 24-hour crisis intervention service.
1976 – CONTACT applied for and received full accreditation as a member of Teleministries USA Inc. and Life Line International. Each year since 1976, CONTACT has been declared a fully accredited center in both of these organizations, having fulfilled all requirements yearly.
1981 – CONTACT was accepted as a United Way Agency and received its first allocation in 1982.
1984 – CONTACT received its first Bloc Grant funding and this funding was continued each year.
1990 – CONTACT became the official county Information and Referral Center in January 1990.
2000 – CONTACT of Ocean County becomes the 3rd largest crisis call center in the country.
2004 – CONTACT of Ocean County launches it’s 2-1-1 information and referral service in partnership with the United Way.
2008 to Present – The 2-1-1 Partnership consolidated all the 2-1-1 call centers into one location in New Jersey. CONTACT of Ocean County officially became CONTACT of Ocean & Monmouth Counties.
CONTACT continues to expand its presence in the community through various forms of outreach: newspaper interviews, radio shows, health fairs and senior fairs. Ongoing efforts to recruit new volunteers are continuously undertaken by CONTACT staff, Board members and hotline volunteers.