Local man aids LGBT community with volunteer-run helpline

When Bruce Mazurkiewicz decided he wanted to volunteer at a gay and lesbian help-line, he did not anticipate running into any problems.

“I was unemployed and I really thought, ‘I’m going to open up the yellow pages or go on the computer and I’m going to be able to volunteer tomorrow for some organization that does this,’” he said.

But Mazurkiewicz was shocked by what he found. Instead of volunteering the next day, he found that a helpline similar to what he was looking for did not exist in Lake County, the surrounding suburbs or the entire state.

That’s when Mazurkiewicz determined he would start his own helpline for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community – PrideCall Inc. In doing so, he launched an initiative that has become a valuable resource to members of the gay community in and around Lake County.

“We’re picking up calls every month,” the Crystal Lake resident said. “That says something.”

Mazurkiewicz began PrideCall in December 2009. The free and anonymous help-line, which operates from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, is designed to be an outlet for anyone struggling with LGBT-related issues.

Callers who contact PrideCall seek assistance on a number of issues, Mazurkiewicz said, including relationship advice, concerns about coming out and information about resources available to the gay community.

Mazurkiewicz knows first-hand what many callers are experiencing, particularly when it comes to fears about coming out. He worried for years before coming out to his two sons at the age of 50. His worries were centered around the possibility of losing their love if he told them he was gay, Mazurkiewicz said.
Fortunately, those fears proved to be unfounded.

“It turned out that they were very accepting, which is great because it’s not that fairy tale story for everybody,” he said. “I had it easy. Everybody was very accepting when I came out. Not everybody is that fortunate.”

It’s for those people who are not as fortunate that Mazurkiewicz started PrideCall.

From the beginning, Mazurkiewicz knew he wanted PrideCall to be a long-term program. For the first three months of the helpline’s existence, he manned the phone each night because no other volunteers had completed the training required to field calls.

“He’s actually probably one of the most passionate people that I’ve ever met,” PrideCall volunteer Valerie Nootbaar said. “We know he cares and that makes us care even more.”

In order to handle the calls that come in to PrideCall, volunteers like Nootbaar first complete an extensive and thorough six-week training program. The program is led by Palatine-based psychologist Bonnie Estensen, who specializes in issues related to the LGBT-community.

The training is interactive, Mazurkiewicz said, and involves role-playing some of the potential calls volunteers might receive. The goal is to make sure that whoever picks up the phone is as knowledgeable as possible about the questions or concerns a caller might have, he said.

Ultimately, the goal of PrideCall is to help the caller reach his or her own decision about what course of action to take.

"What we try to do is enable them and empower them to solve their own problem. So, we're not really telling them what to do," Mazurkiewicz said. "All of a sudden, in most cases, they're coming up with their own solution, which is exactly what we want."

"We never want to even suggest something that's going to take them down an ugly road," he added. "That's why we ask them so many questions."

Even though he has a full-time job in addition to the work he does with PrideCall, Mazurkiewicz always makes time to market the helpline or take calls if no one else is available, Estensen said. His organizational skills and energy for the program are both evident, she said.

“He’s a good leader [and] he’s good at empowering folks,” Estensen said. “He puts his life on hold for this.”

Some of the calls that come into PrideCall are gut-wrenching, Mazurkiewicz said. He has listened to stories from callers about the fears they have in coming out, or the abuse they have endured because of their sexual orientation.

PrideCall has received one suicide call, which was reported to authorities. The caller ultimately was not harmed and received the necessary help, Mazurkiewicz said.

But most of the calls that are received by PrideCall are from people who just want to talk or are looking for an outlet in which to express themselves , Nootbaar said.

The popularity of the helpline is growing, too, she said.

“It’s a positive thing that people are starting to realize we have a number,”  Nootbaar said.

Part of the reason PrideCall has not only endured since its inception but continued to grow is because of what it is not – a 24-hour helpline, Mazurkiewicz said. Maintaining constant hours would have been too difficult to sustain, and likely would have led to a burn-out on the part of those involved, he said.

But that does not mean Mazurkiewicz sees no room for growth in PrideCall.

He would love to take on the challenge of opening a center in the northern suburbs that offers resources, counseling and support to the LGBT community.

“The only way people are going to change is through education,” Mazurkiewicz said. “That’s how people become tolerant of one another and let people lead their lives.”

Want to learn more?

For more information about Pride Call Inc., call 815-337-2255 or visit www.pridecall.org.

Getting to know ... Bruce Mazurkiewicz

Occupation: Works in retail flooring sales at Lewis Floor & Home in Northbrook

Age: 54

Family: A partner, two adult sons and two grandsons

Village of residence: Crystal Lake

Education: Graduated from Harper College with a degree in criminal justice and law enforcement

Hobby: Gardening