This is especially important during this time because of the pandemic and high cost of healthcare/therapy. I love being a part of this initiative that resonates with my values around mental health. You learn how to be the best support you can for that individual and the feeling is so rewarding. Being able to make someone feel better, if only for that moment, is all the difference for that person. I've learned so much from each conversation I've had so far, and the listeners are the most supportive humans I've ever been around! I have a team that carries the same passion for helping people and it is everything I imagined it would be. I love this community and I encourage others to join for this once in a lifetime experience :)

Being a listener at YL has taught me patience, understanding and empathy. Sometimes a visitor may just need someone to encourage them and tell them their doing great. To be able to do that and make someone feel better is a privilege. Being a listener at YL is a great opportunity to help others and learn more about mental health. It's okay if you're not a perfect listener. You grow with each case you take, as you learn how to listen and respond better; and address the issues your visitor puts forth.

If you are really interested in listening to other people and making them feel better, YL is the best place to do that.

Volunteering at YL gives me an amazing opportunity to help people from all around the world. The environment is awesome although I wasn't able to join the events that was held. I know how it feels like to feel alone and helpless, I've been there too. Therefore, being able to help people who are going through tough times felt more of a blessing rather than an obligation. When the clients leave the counseling session feeling better, it's the most rewarding situation ever.

Working as a Youth Listener has been such a rewarding experience, it is so amazing being able to support other young people from all over the world. Particularly when they are going through something, such as Mental Health issues, and have reservations about speaking to those around them due to the stigma that still surrounds Mental Health, especially in certain countries and cultures. We get to help them to see the light, the hope, in any dark situation. I would encourage anyone with an insatiable desire to help people and make a difference to join our team.

My decision to join YL has been as is still a life changing decision. I’m so grateful to be part of this amazing community of caring and wonderful people. I’m very proud of my role as a listener here because I know that I’m making someone’s day better through every conversation. It just gives me so much love and hope.

Mental health matters! If you advocate for this too, then YL is the best platform for you to join!

Youth Listener has been such a memorable journey since the beginning. Youth Listener provided me the tools to assist others but also learn more about myself. I learn to work with those around me and build rapport with my other fellow listeners. We're able to guide one another and create a support system within the youth listener community. I learn to grow not just as a listener but as a person.

Being with youth Listener has inspired me to give back to my community and our global users. As the pandemic worsens, there are countless of people that need a listening ear. As a listener, I can be that person I wish was there for me when I needed it the most.

Melanie remembers what it was like being a teenager locked up in her room, unable to talk to anyone, and she wouldn't want anyone else to go through the same. She would like to help create a safe space where teenagers can talk openly without being shamed or discriminated against. "I think young people are battling the fear of imperfection. Everything is so picture-perfect these days; from Instagram models to the people on their TV screens. The narratives that are being told to them are quite overwhelming. You need perfect grades in order to get into the perfect ivy league school in order to get the perfect job and earn the perfect amount of money.If you decide to drop out you have to be perfect at whatever you are doing in order to live a perfect life. It is a really big problem in our society." Says Melanie

My experience as a volunteer listener at YL has been nothing but fruitful and humbling. Having the opportunity to witness the stories of people who are going through different challenges in their lives has allowed me to become more compassionate, as well as sensitive towards the feelings of others. Not everyone has the luxury of being surrounded by people who could listen to them without judgement, and provide the comfort that they need at the moment. Hence, I am grateful to be one of those people who choose to willingly help such individuals who reach out to platforms like YL as they seek for the help that they yearn for and deserve. Mental health is just as important as physical health, but the stigma surrounding mental health in our society continues to be internalized by many. Fortunately, there are still people out there like the members of the YL community who advocate for mental health, are open-minded, and are always ready to lend their time and empathize with others. Joining YL made me realize that no matter our race, gender, or status in life, we all deserve to be heard and appreciated. Being a volunteer listener at YL does not feel like a responsibility at all, but instead an opportunity to contribute to a change in the lives of others and my own. I'm glad that I was able to stumble upon YL when I needed it the most, and I hope that the people who will get to join this community in the future may also feel the same joy that I felt when I decided to volunteer.