CONTACT of Ocean & Monmouth Counties

CONTACT of Ocean County opened its telephone lines and provided a listening, empathetic ear to all Ocean County residents on December 1, 1975. Shortly thereafter, CONTACT sought and received accreditation for its telephone center from Lifeline International; it is currently accredited by International Council for Helplines, Lifeline's successor organization. In 1981, CONTACT was accepted as a United Way agency. In 1990 the telephone center became the Information and Referral Center for Ocean County. CONTACT was the 2-1-1 Center for Ocean County from February, 2005 through June, 2008. CONTACT and its volunteers have received many awards including the JC Penney Golden Rule Award and the Joann Beths Humanitarian Awards. CONTACT has grown from 8,000 calls in its first year of operation to over 24,000 in 2024. CONTACT officially changed its name to CONTACT of Ocean & Monmouth Counties in 2008.

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.

MISSION STATEMENT: CONTACT of Ocean & Monmouth Counties, a nonprofit, 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.

CONTACT volunteers are there to listen to anyone in crisis or distress, never giving advice but helping the caller to examine their options and discover their own solutions.