— ✆ Help Center ✆ —

Number: 301-314-HELP(4357)Address: South Campus Dining Hall Room #3015, 7093 Preinkert Dr, College Park, MD 20740Fall Hours: September 1st, 2025 – December 20, 2025Spring Hours: January 26, 2026 – May 18, 2026

DaysCall HoursDrop In Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday4PM - 12AM4PM - 7PM
Wednesday4PM - 8PM4PM - 7PM
Friday4PM - 8PM--------------

Hotline ServicesHelp Center is open to all to call during our operating hours. Feel free to call for any issue, no matter how big or small. We’re here to listen.Drop-In ServicesHelp Center offers peer-to-peer counseling by Drop-in. No appointment is needed, but it can be helpful to call ahead to ensure that a counselor will be available to speak with you right away. We are located on the third floor of the South Campus Diner in room 3105.Other ServicesLooking for free condoms, dental dams, lube, etc? We encourage you to come by and pick some up!FREE PREGNANCY TESTS (Available by phone request and pick-up)
Help Center offers free, anonymous, confidential pregnancy tests. To retrieve one for yourself, a friend, or partner, come to 3105 South Campus Diner for a drop-in.

What is Help Center?

Help Center is University of Maryland’s student-run peer counseling and crisis intervention hotline that provides free and confidential help to the UMD community. We are anonymous and confidential except for in cases where we believe an individual to be a danger to themselves or others. Furthermore, we are mandated reporters for disclosed child abuse prior to the age age of 18. Anyone can call and be connected to student counselors who are trained to help with any problems you may be facing.You don’t have to provide your name or any identifying information – all calls made to Help Center are kept strictly confidential. We welcome all callers; no issue is too big or small. We also provide drop-in counseling and free, confidential pregnancy tests without an appointment!

FAQ

I’m thinking about calling or dropping in, so should I?It’s natural to feel hesitant about confiding a problem to someone who’s both a peer and a stranger. Perhaps the problem feels too big, or too small, to bother talking about. Maybe you don’t want to “burden” friends or family, or they seem too busy to listen.At Help Center, trained student counselors are ready to listen for as long as you need or as long as you want to talk. We’re here to talk through any problem with you.What will happen when I call or drop in?A warm and friendly Help Center counselor will answer the phone or greet you at the door. You’ll be invited to talk through whatever is on your mind. No judgment.Will the counselor help me decide what to do?Help Center counselors won’t give advice or tell you what to do, but they will help you explore different aspects of your issue and discuss your options. With neutral, unbiased assistance, you can discover possibilities you haven’t thought of before.Can I call or visit more than once?You can call as often and for as long as you like. However, Help Center’s purpose is not long-term counseling. If you drop in once or twice and find that you might want ongoing counseling, we can refer you to campus or community mental health professionals.Can I still call even if I'm not a UMD Student?Yes! Even if you are not a UMD student, faculty, or staff, you can still absolutely call Help Center!What if I meet with a counselor and then see them later on campus?Because they maintain anonymity, counselors won’t acknowledge the counseling conversation outside of Help Center.

Board

⟡ Michelle Yu & Kali Yonas ⟡
Co -Administrative Director

Hi! Our names are Michelle and Kali and we are the Administrative Directors of the Help Center. Michelle is a senior Biochemistry and Neuroscience Major and Kali a senior Psychology Major and Neuroscience minor and we are both on the pre-med track. We oversee all Help Center operations. We are the main point of contact if you have any questions or concerns!

⟡ Annie Elliott ⟡
Resource Director

Hi! My name is Annie and I am the Resource Director at HC! I am a junior Psychology and Criminology/Criminal Justice Double Major. I am responsible for managing and restocking help centers contraceptives and I update all of the resources for students. If you have any questions or concerns regarding student resources and contraceptives, feel free to reach out!

⟡ Jolie Li ⟡
Shift Manager

Hi! My name is Jolie, and I’m a senior cell biology & genetics and psychology double major. I am Help Center’s shift manager, so I coordinate our volunteers’ schedules and work to foster positive shift dynamics.

⟡ Alexys Esfandiari ⟡
Internal Relations

Hi! My name is Alexys and I am the Internal Relations director for Help Center. I am a sophomore double majoring in Physiology/Neurobiology and Dietetics. I plan events for help center to facilitate bonding between shifts!

⟡ Yasmin Aouchria & Natasha Mohmad ⟡
Diversity and Inclusion

Hi! My name is Yasmin and I am Co-Director of diversity and inclusion here at Help Center! I am a psychology major with a minor in human development. As D&I we make sure the culture of Help Center is inclusive towards all student volunteers.Hi! My name is Natasha, and I am the Help Center Diversity and Inclusion Director along with Yasmin. I am a sophomore psychology major. I help ensure that Help Center is a space where everyone feels accepted and diversity is celebrated.

⟡ Marissa Liu ⟡
Secretary

Hi! I'm Marissa, and I'm your secretary! I'm a Biochemistry/Cell Biology double major on the pre-med track. I'm the one sending you all newsletters and the one who made this website!

Campus Involvement

Request an Empathy and Helping Skills Workshop from the Help Center!The Help Center at UMD is launching a new program called the Empathy Speaker’s Bureau! The Empathy Speaker’s Bureau is a program where campus groups can request a workshop covering empathy and basic helping skills to be presented by trained volunteers.The three aims of the hour-long presentation are:To increase awareness of empathy and the ways it manifests in communication
To improve active listening and helping skills
To increase comfort and confidence in providing empathetic support to others
This program is applicable to a wide range of personal and professional settings, covering topics like providing support to friends, navigating conflict, and referring people to resources.If this sounds like something you/your group would be interested in, request a worksheet request form!If you have any questions, feel free to contact the program coordinator, Vivian, at [email protected].