Help is just around the corner for those who have friends, relatives or loved ones in the Persian Gulf.

The Ben Gordon Center, 12 Health Services Drive, is offering an initial meeting free of charge for anyone needing counseling because of the war, Rick Johnson, community educator and public information coordinator for the center, said.

“We have put a higher priority on those with stress over the war,” said Johnson.

Through a joint effort with the Family Services Agency in DeKalb, the center employees want to let the community know the priority they have put on helping those affected by the war.

“This is our response to what’s going on,” Johnson said. “We are just letting the counselors and people know that anyone affected directly by the war is getting first priority.”

Tony Stahl, executive director for the Family Services Agency was unavailable for comment, but both agencies issued a letter expressing their concern for those with “troublesome” feelings over the war.

“We should talk to others or write our feelings down,”Johnson said.

Those who are in need of counseling may call the Family Services Agency, the Ben Gordon Center and its Crisis Line or talk to a minister or someone they know, he added.

Kathy Hotelling, NIU director of the Counseling and Student Development Center, said the center will be cosponsoring an NIU support group for students concerned about the war beginning in February. The University Resources for Women is the other cosponsor, she said.

Right now, students seeking counseling for the war are being seen on an individual basis, she added.