Chairs line a wall of a main meeting room at the Rape Crisis Center’s Signs of Hope Counseling Center. The center, which opened Feb. 16, 2011, serves victims of sexual assault age 12 and older. Behind the chairs is a private, smaller room for discussions with victims and their family and friends.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016 | 2 a.m.
Recognizing a growing need for more volunteers to help victims of sexual assault, the Rape Crisis Center has scheduled an additional training class this year.
Last year, center staff and volunteers assisted more than 690 rape victims, a 25 percent increase over 2014, when they assisted 550 victims.
There was also a 5 percent increase in the number of crisis hotline calls received last year, surpassing 4,200 calls as compared with 3,998 in 2014.
To meet this demand, the organization will be holding three, five-week volunteer training sessions instead of two as in previous years.
The growing need for volunteers, RCC executive director Daniele Dreitzer said, is not necessarily the result of more sexual assaults.
“Sexual assault continues to be severely underreported and unfortunately victim blaming is rampant and acts as a big deterrent to reporting,” Dreitzer said. “What we can take away is that more people are recognizing us as a resource for getting help, and with that recognition, they are reaching out to us for services.”
Trained volunteer advocates serve victims at the hospital, help staff with the crisis hotline and assist with spreading the word about the organization’s services by attending community outreach events.
Those interested in participating in the June 6 training session must complete an application by May 23 and schedule an interview.
The training covers the center's services, community resources for victims, how to respond to those in crisis, how the investigation and criminal justice processes work for sexual assault cases and more.
New volunteers must be at least age 21, pass a background check and drug screening, and commit to a minimum of six months of volunteer service of at least six hours per week. Volunteers of different ages, gender identity, racial and ethnic background, sexual orientation and language abilities are encouraged to apply.
For more information, contact the center at 702-385-2153.
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