Answering the #1 Question: How Can You Help?
By Rose Ewing, Hopeful Horizons' Community Educator
During my job educating the community on Hopeful Horizons' mission and services, I nearly always get the question, “How can I help?”
I continually say, the number one thing people can do to help survivors heal is to believe them and listen to their stories when they are ready to tell them. Be nonjudgmental.
Listen. Believe.
But if you would like to take a more active approach in helping Hopeful Horizons achieve its mission of creating safer communities by changing the culture of violence and offering survivors a path to healing, here are some opportunities:
Become an office volunteer: Whether it’s in our Beaufort, Bluffton, Okatie or Walterboro offices, we need volunteers who can give their time in the morning (9 a.m.–1 p.m.) or afternoon (1-5 p.m.) at least twice a month. These volunteers oversee individuals in our lobby who may be there to support family members or visitors who are waiting to speak with Hopeful Horizons staff. These volunteers are greeting visitors, managing the front door, providing snacks and giving the public a first glimpse of the compassion, collaboration and commitment to excellence the staff at Hopeful Horizons is dedicated to providing. The support of these office volunteers is critical to our daily operations. Please consider filling this vital role. Bilingual abilities are a plus in this position.
Let your hands do the “handy work”: Let’s face it … stuff breaks and needs to be repaired/or new things need to be put together. If you are handy and want to use your skills to better the lives of those overcoming abuse, please consider volunteering your handy improvement skills to repair things in our shelter and/or office locations in Beaufort, Bluffton, Okatie and Walterboro. Mounting TVs on walls; assembling bookshelves; moving furniture; hanging bulletin boards; repairing locks. Those are just a few examples of how a handy person can help Hopeful Horizons successfully operate its shelter and offices.
Reaching for outreach: If you are outgoing and enjoy spreading Hopeful Horizons’ message of being the leader in ending child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence, then becoming an outreach volunteer may be for you. Very often, there can be multiple events going on at the same time and our staff can only attend one.
Can you help by attending a two-to-four hour event in the evening or on a weekend?
Are you able to share information about Hopeful Horizons' free services and hand out materials?
Are you willing to walk in a parade or attend a community event representing Hopeful Horizons?
Are you open to sharing you own story?
If the answer is yes, reach out to outreach. Being bilingual would be an added benefit in this volunteer role.
If you are ready to consider any of the above opportunities and make a difference in the lives of those Hopeful Horizons serves, start now by filling out this short volunteer form.
