April 18th-24th is National Volunteer Appreciation Week and we have never felt more grateful for our volunteers than over this past year. We feel the absence of our crisis line, childcare, meal prep, and other on-site volunteers deeply and look forward to their (hopefully) imminent return. Although onsite individual and group volunteer activities were put on hold to protect the safety of our staff, clients and volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Intervention volunteers continue to provide support to victims.
Intervention volunteers contact and follow up with victims as quickly as possible on weekends when Sojourner’s police partners call the crisis line and report a domestic or sexual assault. This provides victims with a prompt response to deal with their safety issues and allows advocates to have a weekend and well-deserved break from work. We are so grateful for our Intervention Volunteers! We miss all of our other volunteers and are anxiously awaiting the time when it is safe for their return. Check out what some of our Intervention volunteers had to say about volunteering with Sojourner:
"I volunteer with Sojourner because of the solidarity I feel toward our clients. Domestic violence affects every community, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, or educational background. This isn’t “other people’s” problem, this is OUR problem."
-Sarah W.
"I started to volunteer with Sojourner after the 2016 election. I felt a responsibility and a calling to support the women and children in our community who were suffering domestic abuse. Being a small part of what Sojourner does has been a humbling and rewarding experience and one I am so incredibly grateful to be a part of."
-Stacey G.
"I am deeply honored to work with survivors of violence and abuse to provide hope, safety and support. It is my pleasure to serve on weekends with the incredible team at Sojourner Project, especially at this challenging time of Covid in our lives."
-Deb W.
"Previous to starting my volunteer role at Sojourner, I kept hearing a calling to work with women & kids and help them in some way. I researched Women's Shelters near me and found Sojourner....I was so excited to learn of the Intervention position and applied, and I am so happy I did. This work is very meaningful to me because not only am I able to guide people into a safer situation, I'm able to help them think beyond where they are now and show them life won't always be like this. I think it's important to give back to the community, step outside your comfort zone, and think about the bigger picture. Life isn't just about me and my family. There are so many people calling for help, and if I can help lead someone out of the dark, then I can feel like I'm answering that calling I keep hearing."
-Whitney K.