Salem, Ore. – Farmers are hard working people. They’re up at dawn, used to long hard hours and don’t often complain about the work let alone their feelings. But when things get rough, even a farmer needs a helping hand and now there’s a new hotline for farmers to call to support those who work in agriculture, forestry, or the fishing industry.
The phone and text service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is free. It has trained counselors with experience in agriculture who can take phone calls in 160 languages, with English, Spanish, and Vietnamese professionals available to respond by text. The state was able to launch the service thanks to donations totaling nearly $70,000 from the Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization, which serves rural Medicaid recipients in eastern Oregon, and the Roundhouse Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in Sisters.
