Our volunteers come from all walks of
life: teachers, homemakers, students, social workers, accountants and more!
Hearts of Hope offers different types of volunteering: victim advocacy, office volunteering and court monitoring.
Victim Advocacy
Each year, Hearts of Hope sponsors two volunteer
trainings. Victim advocates are required to complete a 40-hour crisis
intervention training during which they learn crisis intervention and active
listening skills. They also learn about the effects of sexual violence, the
court process, and how to monitor our 24-hour crisis line and provide support
in an emergency room.
24 Hour Crisis Line
Emergency Room Advocacy
Time Commitment: 2 shifts per month
Time Commitment: 2 shifts per month
Provide immediate, short term support to callers
Meet victims in local emergency rooms.
Dispatch on-duty advocate to emergency room when necessary.
Provide immediate emotional support to the victims and their significant others.
Make appropriate referrals
Provide information on counseling services at Hearts of Hope.
Our next victim advocacy volunteer training will be in June 2010. The trainings will be held at Hearts of Hope on the four Saturdays in June from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Office Volunteering
If you are interested in helping Hearts of Hope, but don't
have the time to commit to the victim advocacy training, then we always welcome
help around the office! No work experience is required. Areas that our
volunteers help with are:
Office tasks, cleaning & organizing
Fundraiser preparation, production & participation
Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) research &
development
Court Monitoring Hearts of Hope is interested in starting a Court Monitoring program for Lafayette Parish to monitor sexual assault cases in the 15th Judicial District. It is our hope that through this program, we can create a more aware and involved community against sexual violence and the injustices that survivors can face in the proceedings following the report of the crime. Court monitoring volunteers will observe sexual assault trials in a courtroom and report on what they see and hear.
If you are interested in participating in these efforts and becoming a Hearts of Hope volunteer, call the volunteer coordinator at (337) 269-1557 or email at marielle.babb@theheartsofhope.org.
