FAQS

Mission

"To provide immediate support, listening and connections."

Vision

"A caring responsive community for all."

Values

Empowerment – assisting people to find the strength and courage to make decisions and find their own solutions

Empathy – understanding and validating the thoughts, feelings and experiences of all people

Confidentiality – creating an atmosphere of trust, respect and confidentiality, where everyone may feel safe in openly sharing their thoughts, feelings and experiences

Caring – demonstrating care and concern through befriending, understanding and unconditional compassion

Listening – actively listening with dedication and respect, giving meaning and value to what people say

Diversity – recognizing, appreciating and supporting the diversities that exist within our community

Non-Judgmental – building relationships based on respect, empathy and acceptance, without judgment or imposing personal values on others

Availability - offering support, listening and connections 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

Community Torchlight o/a Distress Centre Wellington/Dufferin offers several confidential, 24 hour, support, referral, and crisis assistance telephone services to individuals who live within Guelph, Wellington County, Orangeville and Dufferin County.  
We are involved in many partnerships within the local mental health & addictions, and crisis service systems across both the Waterloo-Wellington and Central West Local Health Integration Networks.

Yes.  Our services are completely confidential. Callers to our lines are NOT required to identify themselves (although they may wish to), nor to give information which might identify their location.  One of the strengths of our service is that people feel free to share personal problems anonymously. In addition, we do NOT have Caller ID on any of our phone lines.  
When calling the Crisis or Distress Lines, if you are in need of immediate and/or emergency services we will request your information.  
The Crisis Line is linked with Trellis Mental Health & Developmental Services through the Coyote Caseworks information system.

The types of calls which come into our lines are varied. They can range from relationship issues to loneliness, grief, depression, crisis and suicide to name a few. We also get calls from individuals who have a Crisis Recovery Support Plan and would like to activate their crisis plan with us. Click here for more information about this.

The physical address of Community Torchlight’s main office is confidential.
Our administrative phone number is 519-821-3761.

This number is for non-crisis and non-distress related calls only.

Our Mailing Address is as follows:

Our TeleCheck office is located in Orangeville with the following contact information:

Primary volunteer opportunities with our agency are as a Distress Line listener, a TeleCheck Dufferin volunteer or a member of our Board of Directors.  We also welcome individuals who would like to volunteer in an adminstrative or fundraising capacity.

Distress Line volunteers complete 32-hours of in-class training, followed by an additional 8-16 hours of mentoring before going on the lines solo.  Volunteers recieve ongoing training and supervision for further development of their skills.

TeleCheck volunteers complete 12 hours of training followed by mentoring shifts with a seasoned volunteer.  Volunteers recieve ongoing training and supervision for further development of their skills.

Please watch our videos and visit the Volunteering section of our website (link) for volunteer application process description and online forms.

For additional information on any or all of these opportunities, please email us.

Volunteering with our agency is an important way that you can give back, supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our community.  Watch our videos to see why you should consider volunteering with us.

Our volunteer training and opportunities provide you with skills development, practical experience and personal insights.  Join our volunteer group and demonstrate to potential employers that you are a team player and are able to work well with minimal supervision. Add real content to your résumé!

ComTrch_AnnRpt_proof-jun17-2.pdfView our 2010 annual report publication.

Distress Line: United Way of Guelph/Wellington, Navacrek Community Foundation, City of Guelph, Hammond Power Solutions, Lakeside Church, Larry Pearson Foundation, Ray Scapinello

Crisis Line: Ministry of Health & Long Term Care; Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network, Trellis Mental Health & Developmental Services

TeleCheck: Ministry of Health & Long Term Care; Central West Local Health Integration Network, Alzheimers Society of Dufferin County

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to numerous individuals who contribute through financial or in-kind donations, assisting us to deliver quality services.

Click here to see our online volunteer Board Member application.