GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — The Gateway Gaston recently expanded its program from helping people with food and bill pay assistance to also helping with mental health.

They’ve created a program called "Someone Listened”.

People are able to fill out information through an online portal about their crisis. A volunteer then calls and connects them with resources in 90 minutes or less.

Since June, the organization's volunteers have helped nearly 100 people. Members say most of the people are dealing with struggles linked to the pandemic.

“While people were slowed down due to COVID, they began to think about things that before their business kept them from noticing, and then of course you throw into that job loss, economic uncertainty, our political climate,” said the founder of The Gateway Gaston, Dwayne Burks.

Thanks to donations, the program is free to those in need.

If you’d like to learn more about The Gateway Gaston's “Someone Listened” program, click here.