Honoring Connie Gruber: A Legacy of Service

For more than 40 years, Connie Gruber was part of the heart of CONTACT Helpline.

Connie gave her time freely, shared what she knew generously, and cared deeply about the people who turned to CONTACT Helpline when they needed someone to listen. On September 2, 2026, we lost a true stalwart whose impact will continue to inspire all who carry this work forward.

Her influence will be felt here for years to come.

Connie served CONTACT Helpline in nearly every way imaginable. She began as a hotline volunteer and went on to serve as a Board Member and Board President. She trained and supported others who answered the line, sharing both her experience and her belief in the importance of listening with compassion and without judgment.

In more recent years, Connie continued that work as a Hotline Specialist and Resource Navigator. She remained a steady, caring presence for people reaching out in moments when they needed connection, information or simply someone willing to listen.

Her commitment extended far beyond the responsibilities of any one position. Connie understood the mission of CONTACT Helpline because she lived it.

She showed up for people. She listened. She cared.

In 2024, the International Council for Helplines, formerly CONTACT USA, honored Connie with the Spirit of CONTACT Award in recognition of her extraordinary service. For those who worked alongside her, that spirit was something they had witnessed for decades.

Carrying Connie’s Spirit of Service Forward

In Connie’s memory, CONTACT Helpline is establishing the Connie Gruber Volunteer Fund. We are creating this fund to recognize and strengthen the kind of volunteer service that meant so much to her throughout her life.

Each year, the fund will support a deserving 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (or individual) through an award designed to help recruit, train, and retain volunteers. In doing so, Connie’s legacy will reach beyond CONTACT Helpline and help other organizations build strong volunteer programs of their own.

Fundraising for the Connie Gruber Volunteer Fund has just started, and we invite our community to help us build something meaningful in her honor.

Those wishing to contribute may donate through CONTACT Helpline’s regular donation page. When making your gift, please indicate that your donation is intended for the Connie Gruber Volunteer Fund.

Additional information about the annual nomination and selection process will be shared as the fund develops.

More Than 40 Years of Caring

There is no simple way to measure what more than four decades of service can mean.

It can be found in the people Connie listened to when they needed someone. In the volunteers and staff members she helped prepare for this work. In the colleagues she encouraged and the organization she helped lead.

And now, it will continue in the volunteers and nonprofit organizations supported in her name.

We are deeply grateful for Connie’s more than 40 years of service to CONTACT Helpline and for the care she gave so freely to our community.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, her friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside her.

Connie gave so much of herself to helping others.

It is our honor to carry that spirit forward in her name.