LI Coronavirus: Support Hotline Reaches Essential Workers

MINEOLA, NY — When Thurston O'Neal picks up the Essential Worker Support Line, the person on the other end is often frustrated, tired and maybe more than a little fed-up. They might be "essential" at their jobs in hospitals or grocery stores, but maybe that day they don't feel that way. O'Neal doesn't pry. He doesn't ask them to fill out forms or register for some new online account.

He just listens.

"A lot of people are going to work every day, with a lot of things on their mind," said Thurston, a volunteer hotline operator with the Family and Children's Association. O'Neal, who works as director of the the FCA's Hempstead Prevention Coalition, is among the a fifteen-person volunteer team working the support line. He's handled calls from workers who, he said, are faced with "an overwhelming situation."

"We say it in a cavalier way, 'essential workers,'" O'Neal noted, "but they really are essential to our wellbeing. Everything we're going through, they're experiencing to a much higher degree."

The life or death stakes of the outbreak can magnify even normal workplace problems. But O'Neal said he also hears worries from managers about the safety of their employees; others are preoccupied with fear about bringing infection home to their families. Then there's the economic crisis: O'Neal said recently spoke to worker in the medical field who had their hours cut, and they turned to the support line to seek resources and direction.

Of course, that's where O'Neal does more than just listen. He said he connected the caller with nonprofits and support systems.

"That's the beauty of this line, you have someone you can talk to, who's not going to ask personal questions, but you can just open up," O'Neal said. "It's getting a word of support and thanks for what you're doing. It's getting someone to notice that you're doing a first-responders' job in the midst of the crisis."

The FCA Essential Worker Support Line is staffed Monday through Friday 7 a.m. through midnight. The number is 516-281-0202.

FCA also operates a separate support line for coronavirus-related immigrant and refugee support services. That number is 516-546-0357.