In 1990, Peter and Sharyn Kovalesky launched the NEO Teen Helpline, a peer-to-peer phone bank where troubled teens could call for help. Today, the helpline is going strong, but the volunteer base has dwindled to almost nothing.

"Kovalesky, 65, and his wife handled virtually [all] of those [more than 500] calls [last year]. The program, which depends upon teen volunteers, has been in a severe drought for several years. 'We've gotten only one real volunteer out of the last four trainings and we had to cancel two of them - only one kid showed up,' he says."

The training covers 42 hours of "classroom"-style learning, followed by two shifts during which the new volunteer listens in on actual calls. It's intensive, but the work is rewarding and the experience can be of great benefit in college and beyond. The Kovaleskys hope to continue the helpline for at least 5 more years, if they can get a few much-needed volunteers who are willing to help them.

Therapeutic boarding schools, like the Academy at Swift River, can help your child with their emotions while preparing them for college.

Labels: helpline, volunteering