Are you a good listener?
Are you comfortable talking on the phone?
Do you have a passion for helping others?
If you answered yes to these questions, we have an opportunity that may be perfect for you!
Family Violence Project (FVP) has an ongoing need for volunteer advocates to help answer our 24-hour helpline for those affected by domestic violence. As a volunteer advocate on the helpline, you will make a difference in people’s lives by volunteering from the comfort of your home. Do you worry that you won't know what to say? FVP offers a free training (the Core Advocacy, Intervention, Response and Ethics Training) to help prepare you for this role; also, a staff person will be available to assist you by phone while you are volunteering. Throughout the training, participants will learn about the complex issue of domestic violence, the services of Family Violence Project, and how to talk with callers and help them create safety plans. Although successful completion of the training is required for this volunteer role, no other experience is necessary.
Once the training is successfully completed, and after a brief orientation period, volunteers will take helpline calls from home with support available by phone. Most volunteers contribute 9 to 15 hours per month by covering one weekend day (9 hour) or weeknight (15 hour) helpline shift.
The next 45-hour volunteer training will be held in Fall 2025. While the training dates have not yet been scheduled, we anticipate a mid or late October start date and plan to offer the training as a live-participation, online training. If you are interested in participating in this opportunity, you must be 18 years of age or older, complete a volunteer interview prior to being accepted to the training, and pass background checks (including fingerprinting) prior to volunteering. While the training itself is free of charge, we ask for a $25 donation (to help cover the cost of background checks) from those who are financially able to provide it; the inability to donate will not prevent a person from participating!
If you would like to be added to the contact list for the Fall 2025 training, or would like more information about this training and volunteer opportunity, please contact Jaime Mooney, Advocacy Director, at jmooney@familyviolenceproject.org or 207-623-8637 x302.
