Volunteer for victim advocate training starting March 7
A chance to make a difference in someone's life may be all the difference in your own life.
Victim Advocates Reaching Out office manager Karen Carpenter tells KUAM there is headway for both victims and volunteers through the work they perform.
And for those interested in becoming victim advocate volunteers with VARO, the organization is hosting their annual training this month.
"When you really can see that you made a difference, you know somebody comes to you and they are very distraught and you can get them to calm down and get them services so that they are safe, you really progress with them," Carpenter said.
It's progression that you as a volunteer help assist with and experience. VARO organization offers this opportunity to all in the community, as they are training individuals on how to become victim advocate volunteers.
Carpenter explains VARO is a very small organization with only three victim advocates that handle the intense 24 hours a day seven days a week workload, and this is why volunteers are needed to help with the hotline or by visiting with the victims.
The 40-hour course training will be on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning on March 7 and ending on April 4 at the Tamuning Senior Center.
"We do a lot of role play, they are role-playing responding to victims, handling the hotline and then we also go over of course the subject matter what this means for victims, what is a victim like, how are they likely to respond," Carpenter said.
The training topics include advocacy skills, family violence, sexual violence, victimizations and needs assessment and communication.
Carpenter adds that all the work is done at each volunteer's comfort.
"I think that anytime someone can say, I really helped make a difference in someone's life for the better, that's a good feeling," she said.
To participate in the training or for further information call 477-5552 or email [email protected].