A president resigned. Cars lined up for a gallon of gas. New York City was going broke, and a Swedish pop group called ABBA had its first worldwide hit.

Oh, and a young woman named Shirley Remis heard about an organization called CONTACT Helpline.

All of these things happened in 1974, but only one remains current today. Remarkably, Remis, now 86 years old, is still answering phones at CONTACT Helpline, a nonprofit agency providing around-the-clock listening, information and referral by telephone in south-central PA.

Recently, she was honored for more than four decades of service.

“Every part of the organization is important to Shirley,” said Kelly Gollick, CONTACT’s executive director. “When she sees an issue, she wants to be part of the solution.”

Active Listening

Shirley Remis’ life began humbly, the eldest of nine children raised on a farm in Bloomsburg. She left to attend school in Indiana, but returned home to Pennsylvania when her mother became ill. While caring for her family, she also worked at a nearby hospital.

“I was 10 years old, and there were also siblings 12, 14 and 17 at home,” said Mary Dean, the youngest sister.

Both parents died in the same year.

“Shirley was our mentor, the one to guide and set the example for us,” said Dean.

Remis took them to Philadelphia restaurants to “teach us manners, how to order from a menu and that strawberry shortcake was not a whole meal,” said Dean, with a chuckle.

With Remis watching over their shoulders, the children learned to cook.

“We set her oven on fire while cooking a turkey,” Dean said. “Shirley was very calm, told us to turn off the gas and throw in some salt.”

Remis later earned a master’s degree in public health and began a 23-year career with the PA Department of Health in Harrisburg, running a home health program across the state.

In 1974, she heard about CONTACT Helpline from a friend.

“It was a much-needed service in the community,” Remis said. “While I was familiar with counseling as a nurse, I was a little nervous about how it would work over the telephone.”

She got started after completing CONTACT’s “excellent” training program, which allowed her to “really listen to callers,” and active listening became the most satisfying aspect of her volunteer work, she said.

Get a Hug

Due to her daytime job, Remis often covered the least desirable helpline shift—the overnight. One night, she answered a call she’ll never forget. A woman phoned, depressed and overwhelmed with family troubles.

“She said she had a loaded gun in her bedroom and was trying her best to stay out of that bedroom,” Remis said.

As Remis listened, the caller unburdened herself of fear and suicidal thoughts.

“By the end of the call, I knew that the woman would not take her life,” Remis said.

As the years went by, she deepened her involvement with CONTACT Helpline. In addition to answering calls, she served on the executive board and helped with fundraising and administrative tasks.

“Shirley’s familiarity with our longtime, regular callers makes her an invaluable resource to me and other volunteers,” said Gollick. “She continues to find new ways to make an impact.”

CONTACT was not the sole beneficiary of Remis’ volunteer efforts. After retiring from her job in 1991, she volunteered as an American Red Cross disaster services nurse. For 15 years, she worked on a team in locations such as California, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Remis twice spent three weeks with the Red Cross in New York City after 9-11.

“The bushes looked like they were covered with snow” from the crumbled cement and ashes of the World Trade Center, she recalled.

On a home visit, her team encountered an immigrant family. Only one young man could communicate in English because his older, English-speaking brother was missing after the attack.

“Volunteers were instructed to be careful about displaying affection to victims, but, when I observed his family’s grief, I asked the young man, ‘Does anyone want a hug?’” Remis said. “And people came from every room in that house to get a hug!”

There for Us

Technology has changed greatly in the years since Remis began serving with CONTACT Helpline. That poses a challenge as the organization seeks a new, younger generation of volunteers.

“With where [the Helpline is] headed, like adding texting and chatting [to its services], we need the young people’s knowledge of [modern] communication,” said Remis.

And those younger siblings that Remis nurtured many years ago?

“They’re still my kids, but they are all grown up!” she said.

“Shirley’s devotion to us didn’t stop when we grew up,” said sister Mary. “She is always there for us.”

So, the question now is: Will Remis ever stop?

“Oh, no,” she said. “I keep setting new goals for myself. My goal now is to become a healthy 100-year-old.”

She celebrated her 86th birthday on a family cruise with a zip line adventure and crossed another item off her bucket list—snow tubing—in February, going down the slopes seven times.

Over 42 years, so much has come and gone, but Shirley Remis continues on as strong as ever.

To learn more about CONTACT Helpline, including how to become a volunteer, please visit www.contacthelpline.org.

Author: Linda B. Hunter