Oh, The Things We Can Accomplish Together!

Well, what do you know? Stephanie has taken the time again to help me log into the Soci 273 Blog. I am sure that it comes as know surprise to those of you who know Stephanie that she took the time again to help me log into the blog and this brings me to the point that I would like to make about the course, volunteer opportunities and the people that we come in contact with throughout the course of our lives. It is not possible for us to live our lives without each other. We both need and rely on one another in more ways than we can possibly imagine.

I began my volunteer experience with the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County (FVPCOC or FVPC) during the their Fall 2005 volunteer training. The training period at that time consisted of about 35 hours with a couple of shadowing shifts to complete the training period. At that time, the volunteer opportunities at FVPC were hotline advocates, child care providers, court advocates, community educators, support group facilitators and office assistants. The training took place on evenings and weekends and I think that made it possible for those who worked and those who attended classes during the day to attend trainings. Since the center is located in the college town of Chapel Hill, it is my understanding that it is a bit challenging to attract volunteers who are not students. I was not a student at UNC at the time I began the training. Although University of North Carolina at Chapel students and interns provide invaluable time and service to the agency, it is important for the agency to recruit volunteers who are not students as the agency must remain operational during the times of year when students are on holiday breaks.

The Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County provides "free and confidential services in English and Spanish to adults and children who may be experiencing emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in their personal relationships" (http://fvpcoc.org/whoweare.shtml.
Their mission is to prevent and end domestic violence through direct services and community education. They could not do this work without the help of volunteers and interns like us. The services provided are:

24-Hour Toll Free Hotline
Emotional Support
Crisis counseling (in office and on hotline)
Safety Planning
Emergency Shelter Placement
Support Groups (English and Spanish) with free childcare
911 cell phones and voicemail boxes
Help with Domestic Violence Protective Orders
Civil and criminal court accompaniment and advocacy
Community advocacy and resource referrals

It would not be possible for the agency to provide the free and confidential services that it provides without the help and support of the volunteers that it trains and supports throughout the volunteer experience. Much like Dr. Blau and Rafael do when teaching and supporting students in Soci 273 and Soci 290 courses, FVPC is able to carry out its mission to prevent and end family violence through direct services and community education by recruiting, teaching and training new volunteers each semester.

I began co-facilitating support groups at FVPC in December 2007. I continued to co-facilitate the weekly drop-in support group for my Soci 273 apples service. I began co-facilitating the weekly drop-in group after a number of months completing day time hotline advocate shifts. For me, the work is extremely rewarding and powerful. When I engage with a client at FVPC or when I practice effective listening in general, all that is left in the interaction is our common humanity. Being there, witnessing and being present for someone who has experienced any kind of abuse based on who they are validates them as human beings and provides a safe space for them to share their negative and hurtful experiences. It is meaningful to me to take the steps that I can take to make the world a safer place for women and children. Soci 273 and FVPC create and provide opportunities that make it possible for me to do that.

I work full-time here at UNC and I did not get to spend time at the Humans Rights Center or in the space Dr. Blau and the rest of the class created for the Latino/a children who live at Abbey Court. Although it did not happen this semester, I am so completely inspired by the creation of the space and the work that you all did there that I plan to sort out a way to spend time in Abbey Court on an on-going basis. I will continue to volunteer at FVPC as a support group co-facilitator and perhaps there will be a way to take my love of spending time in that manner to Abbey Court.