DVCC made the decision this year to revamp our volunteer program and hired a new volunteer coordinator in February. Victoria’s first project was defining the new volunteer roles at the center and simplifying the volunteer application process. “I wanted to create something that is user friendly and modern, but also touched base on all of our safety protocols to create an enjoyable experience for our volunteers while maintaining safety for survivors first foremost.” Victoria’s most recent volunteer projects including helping with our Transitional Living Program and the apartment updates through alternative duty days with service men and women, preparing art kits for our first annual Pour & Sip virtual event, updating our Helping Hands Room, and other small service projects for volunteers such as hygiene and diapering packs while providing them with education on interpersonal violence and DVCC’s services. She says: “COVID has deeply impacted what we can do with our volunteer program and other community outreach due to safety and social distancing protocols. Despite these barriers, we have seen 94 new volunteers at our center this year, we have developed new ongoing relationships to obtain and retain invested individuals. And despite closing our program multiple times, we have been gifted with 666 volunteer service hours. THIS YEAR [2020] each volunteer hour is an accomplishment of its own.” She hopes to reopen the program slowly as COVID numbers continue to decrease, bringing in regular volunteers to help with the most urgent needs of the center and branch out to more community-based outreach through the reopening of the Helping Hands Room, an on-site mural, and a completely volunteer and survivor run community garden this summer. We are excited to see Victoria grow into her role as our community relations specialist and the work she does to better our center as a whole.
