Chatham-Kent Victim Services is getting ready to recruit some new crisis responder volunteers for 2020.
Crisis responders are called out to emergency situations to assist victims of crime or trauma and provide them with confidential support. According to Executive Director Kate do Forno, the crisis response line is open for people to call 24/7, adding that they need an "army" of volunteers to make sure victim services run smoothly.
"They're really there to walk along with people when they're in some of the most difficult moments of their life and help guide them through the system," she said.
The organization is planning to hold two sessions this year, one in the spring and one sometime in the fall. Do Forno said they are aiming for the first training session to happen in April. Sessions generally take place in the evening for a few hours, twice a week over a four week period. Do Forno said there are usually 20 to 30 people per session who will go on to join their team of long-time volunteers.
Volunteers are on call according to their own availability and respond to calls in pairs. The main requirement of becoming a volunteer is being over the age of 18 with a reliable vehicle and valid driver's licence. Other than that, do Forno said one of the main attributes they look for is people who enjoy assisting others.
"Our training that we do with our volunteers walks them through as many scenarios are we can dream up so our volunteers feel confident and capable of going out into the community," she explained. "What we're looking for most in our volunteers is that you're a caring, empathetic person who wants to give back to your community in this way, you have a passion for people and helping others."
The call for volunteers comes as the organization is undergoing somewhat of a rebranding process. It recently launched a new website, ckvictimservices.com, that makes it easier for people to sign up as a volunteer as well as to make sure information about victim services is more broadly available.
"Part of the reason [website launch] was to make sure the community understood the work of victim services," explained do Forno. "That was not necessarily something we thought was well known in the community of Chatham-Kent."
Do Forno said the best way for someone to sign up to be a volunteer is by visiting the new website and filling out the volunteer application form.