Austin Non-Profit Launches Prayer Hotline Amid Coronavirus Crisis

NORTH AUSTIN, TX —The Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization comprised of nearly 200 Greater Austin churches and thousands of trained volunteers bringing hope into crisis, has launched a prayer hotline to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of greater Austin area residents during the coronavirus, or COVID-19 global pandemic crisis.

As the disease continues to disrupt the day-to-day lives of countless communities across the country, and growing uncertainty looms, the hotline is intended to offer a listening ear in times of social distancing and isolation. ADRN's hotline offers comfort, support and prayer during an increasingly stressful moment in time.

“I met a business owner yesterday who was terrified because he had to let most of his employees go and didn’t know if his business would survive,” said Daniel Geraci, ADRN’s Executive Director. “With churches closed, thousands of people losing their job, dramatic lifestyle changes, and Austinites shut in for an extended period of time, we believe individuals and families need a hotline they can call for comfort, support, and prayer in a time where they may be losing hope.”

The hotline hours will be Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. -8 p.m. for an indefinite period of time. Backed by three tiers of trained volunteers to support callers, every hotline volunteer has received training to provide callers with basic emotional and spiritual support. ADRN's advanced trained volunteers are trained to provide trauma care to callers experiencing higher levels of stress. Working a network of nearly 200 churches, ADRN provides additional support to families in need of emotional, spiritual and physical support.

The community may access ADRN's Prayer Hotline at 512-537-7100. Callers may call as often as needed, and may call back if surges in call volumes are experienced. ADRN will adjust volunteer capacity as quickly as possible to meet demand of large call volumes.

Financial Donations

The community is invited to offer monetary donation in support of ADRN's Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Drive in coordination with the City of Austin Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM), Austin Public Health (APH), and ADRN's Prayer Hotline. Every donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $35,000 to help the organization's disaster response efforts. To give online, go to adrn.org/give and Click the“Donate Now” button under the “Coronavirus Response” section. To learn more visit ADRN.org.