Contact volunteers are making a difference in our community 365 days a year. Contact provides area residents with a treasure that so many of us take for granted: someone who is truly willing to listen and give them that most basic of human rights, the right to be heard. In doing this, our volunteers provide another service, an intangible service: they help our callers find their hope again.
Whether it is helping a young mother find assistance to make ends meet, checking on the welfare of a homebound senior, pointing the way to shelter for a woman in an abusive situation, or simply lending a listening ear when someone needs to talk; our volunteers show that Contact is only a phone call away.
Contact volunteers come from all walks of life and all ages but they all have one thing in common; a concern for others. You don't need any special skills to become a Contact volunteer you just need to be willing to listen. That's it. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Yet the heart of what we do is just as simple as that. We listen.
Before going on the phones each volunteer goes through a comprehensive training program that has been refined through over twenty-four years of experience. The program includes almost thirty hours of classroom instruction led by area professionals in various fields and includes opportunities for role-play. After the classroom portion of the training there is an additional eight hours or more (depending on the individual) of on-the-job training with an experienced Telephone Worker.
Training classes are held several times each year. For information about the next training class please call one of the helpline numbers on our home page or request it via email by clicking here .
Does Contact need volunteers besides Telephone Workers?
Yes! We also need Support Workers , people who just make Reassurance calls, Board members , general office help, and we also have a couple of volunteer staff positions you may be interested in filling or assisting. If you are interested in volunteering with Contact but don't necessarily want to be a Telephone Worker please drop us a line and we'll be happy to discuss possibilities with you.
What about opportunities with other agencies?
Yes! We do have information about other agencies and programs that need volunteers and other resources for putting your skills and talents to good use. Simply call us and ask about agencies that fit your interest (for example working with the homeless) or drop a line to our Information & Referral Coordinator describing what you are interested in doing and we'll try to put you in touch with a place where you can be of service.
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