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The Dial Hope 24 hour telephone outreach ministry was launched on September 10, 2000. The idea was borne of a need Dr. Roger Kunkel personally felt, suffering from an illness while in Duluth, Minnesota, where he was the senior pastor of a large congregation. “One night around 3:00 a.m., I awoke with severe pain, and realized that I had no-one to call at that hour. Realizing that many other people face that same dilemma, whether because of illness, grief, sadness, financial stresses, or because of life's many other situations, I began to develop this ministry of outreach, providing hope, support, care and inspiration,” shares Dr. Kunkel.
He adds, “Every day at approximately 5:00 a.m. (EST), I record a new daily message, providing a lifeline of uplift and hope. This is a 24 hour telephone ministry. Our purpose is simple: to let those in despair know that God makes a difference in their lives, and that someone cares, providing gentle encouragement with words of support and inspiration. Because of the high volume of calls six phone lines handle more than 4,000 calls per month which are received from every state in the nation, and 16 countries. Should you get a busy signal, please try calling back in a minute or two.
After an announcement in Church one Sunday in Sarasota, Florida, that Dial Hope would begin in two months, one member handed me a check for $1,000 and said, "You have to have a toll free number... many of us travel around the country. Many other angels contribute to the annual costs, and we are grateful to them all. Through contributions such as these we are able to continue DIAL HOPE and as of November 2004 we have been able to take another step and make this ministry available to you through this website: www.DialHope.org.”
Friend of Dial Hope, please call or visit any time, day or night, and as often as you choose. You, too, can become a "hope-a-holic". |
