Contact:	Arlene Klemow	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
	908/301-1899	July 14, 2008

 

Berkeley Heights Mom Changes Lives by Listening

Berkeley Heights — Maybe it’s because she was a child of divorce. Or maybe it was those difficult years when her mom was a single parent of five, struggling to pay the bills. But by the time she had to move to a new state and a new school because of her stepfather’s job, Debra Scheibe was fraught with the changes and challenges in her young life.

The mother of two from Berkeley Heights remembers that it meant the world to her during those difficult years when a few special teachers took the time to check in with her and listen to how she felt.

Now nearly three decades later, Scheibe is providing that same gift of listening to adults and teens as a volunteer for CONTACT We Care, the 24-hour caring & crisis hotline based in Westfield.

“I like the idea of helping people in an emotional way,” said Scheibe, who has been volunteering for CONTACT for five years. “I’ve been through difficult experiences and can relate to the callers. Even when I can’t connect with every situation, I can connect with the feelings the callers have,” said Scheibe. “And as an at-home mom, this is a great opportunity for me to get out of the house, and feel good about doing something valuable for others!”

An experienced teacher, writer and paralegal, Scheibe said she loved CONTACT’s 12-week volunteer training class, and the people skills it taught her. “It was great to learn how to listen — to really listen to people in a way where they feel heard. When I first tried out the techniques with my own mother, I thought she would think I sounded like a fraud. Instead, she thanked me after the conversation, and said no one ever understood her in that way. All my relationships have benefited from my volunteer work at CONTACT.”

A graduate of Capital University in Ohio with a bachelor degree in English literature, and Kean University with a master’s degree in instruction and curriculum, Scheibe has worked as a paralegal for the Legal Aid Society, an associate editor for the National Law Journal, and an elementary and middle school teacher in both public and private school settings.

“I’ve always done volunteer work, starting in high school,” said Scheibe. “My first experience was tutoring kids from Newark.” She went on to tutor kids in a youth offender program and at Covenant House, as well as pay friendly visits to kids in foster care, and organize intergenerational programs for an area nursing home.

But it’s her experience at CONTACT that Scheibe finds particularly rewarding because it allows her to help people with their emotional needs. “Our society today is very transient and there are people who feel isolated and disconnected. My volunteer work at CONTACT is a unique opportunity to help people feel connected and feel like someone is there for them.”

Married twelve years to husband, Fred, an attorney, Scheibe says she is very aware of being a role model for her daughters Elizabeth, 8, and Emily, 6. “I want to teach my girls that it’s important to help others in need, even if that means stepping out of your comfort zone and reaching out to people in a new place.”

“You go through a whole lot of different emotions when you work on the hotline,” said Scheibe. “You feel so thankful to be able to be there for someone; scared sometimes because you want to make the time with them count, but mostly you feel grateful. Grateful for what you have in your life. Answering calls for CONTACT We Care gives you tremendous perspective on your own life. You are able to see what’s really important.”

For more information about volunteering for CONTACT We Care, or to register for the upcoming Volunteer Training Class beginning in September, please call (908) 301-1899 or visit the organization’s website at www.contactwecare.org.