Lawrence Rape Crisis Center Seeks Volunteers
To meet a growing need for more volunteers, the Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center is recruiting English-speaking and bilingual volunteers for a five-week volunteer training session starting July 5. The Lawrence, Kan., nonprofit serves victim-survivors of sexual trauma and abuse in Douglas, Franklin and Jefferson counties in Kansas.
“We’re hoping to more consistently offer bilingual services. Our service area has a significant Spanish-speaking population,” said Jess Harman, the center’s director of advocacy services.
Hispanics make up about 25 percent of those seeking support from sexual violence from the care center. A growing number are Spanish-only speakers, which Harman attributes to creating bilingual material and using a language line translation service.
The center is looking for English-speaking and bilingual volunteer advocates and community action team members. Trained volunteer advocates serve victims at the hospital, the police station and at court hearings. They assist staff by handling the 24/7 crisis hotline after-hours and on weekends on a rotating on-call schedule, and they help publicize the organization’s services and raise awareness by attending community outreach events.
Volunteer advocates must complete 40 hours of training at the center, located in River City Square at 708 E. Ninth St. in Lawrence. The training covers the center’s services, community resources for victim-survivors, how to respond to those in crisis, how investigation and criminal justice processes work in sexual assault cases and more. There’s no charge to volunteers.
Trained volunteers for the community action team support staff efforts to educate the community and raise sexual trauma and abuse awareness through their service on one of three committees: community education, outreach and social media and fundraising.
Volunteer community action team members must complete five hours of training at the center. The initial training provides information about sexual trauma and abuse, rape culture and the center’s services. Follow-up training is team-specific covering community education, outreach or fundraising.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and own or have access to an automobile and a phone and voicemail. English-speaking and bilingual volunteers of different ages, gender identity, racial and ethnic background, sexual orientation are encouraged to apply.
“Most of our volunteers now are about 30, but we accept all ages over 18,” Harman said. “We would definitely love to have a wide range of ages.”
There are 93 years between the youngest and oldest sexual trauma and abuse victims served by the center over the past year; the youngest was three, the oldest was 96.
New volunteers must pass a background check. They must attend two-hour monthly meetings at the center and commit to a minimum of one year of volunteer service. Those interested in participating in the July 5 training session must submit a completed application by June 20. Apply online at stacarecenter.org/volunteer.
For more volunteer service information, contact Harman at the center at 785-843-8985. For information about accessing services, ask for Liz Chapa, the center’s rural and underserved advocate.
Formerly the Gadugi Safe Center, the 44-year-old crisis center was the first in Kansas. The center offers counseling and support groups, advocacy and response 24/7 and prevention and education. The work is funded by local, state and federal grants and private donations. Tax-deductible monetary donations can be made online or mailed.
