Lifeline South Coast has celebrated receiving the inaugural University of Wollongong Community Fellowship Award at a dual event to also thank the hundreds of volunteers who are the "backbone" of the service.
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CEO Grahame Gould said more than 180 volunteers out of 320 attended the ceremony on Wednesday at City Beach Function Centre.
"Volunteers are the backbone of what we do, from the truck drivers, shop and warehouse assistants, to the telephone crisis supporters," Mr Gould said.
The 24/7 telephone service received the award in recognition of the "invaluable life-saving service" it provides to "some of the community's most vulnerable members".
"UOW believes it is important to acknowledge how much Lifeline South Coast is valued in our shared communities," said UOW Chancellor Jillian Broadbent.
"Lifeline South Coast is the sum of its volunteers, therefore this award is a symbol of appreciation for all past and current volunteers who give their time and energy to the service."
Lifeline South Coast receives 16,000 calls annually from community members in crisis and the numbers are rising. "We have had a 15 per cent increase every year, meaning the number of calls have doubled from five years ago," Mr Gould said.
"For many people it can be chronic thoughts of suicide that keep returning."
Veteran crisis support worker Ros Clare had noticed a definite increase in her 19 years manning the phones.
"The increase, I think, is the different nature of people's lives now - everybody has such busy lives," she said. "More and more people appear to be experiencing issues but they keep it bottled up."
Ms Clare said the best way to support someone through difficult times was to listen.
Lifeline's 24-hour crisis telephone line is 13 11 14.
