Freedom House offers interested individuals many opportunities for volunteerism. People may choose to be non-direct service volunteers by serving as a member of the Freedom House Board of Directors, the Freedom House Foundation Board, organizing food and toy drives, speaking on behalf of Freedom House to church groups, schools, businesses or other organizations, by doing gardening or maintenance at the shelter, organizing and displaying items at our Upscale Resale shop, or by serving on fund-raising or public awareness committees.

Others may choose to be direct servicevolunteers which includes answering the crisis hotline, medical advocacy at the hospitals with clients, legal advocacy at the courthouse with clients, assisting in support groups, assisting the trained facilitators in prevention programming, or transporting clients to shelter.

The opportunities are endless! Non-direct service volunteers can call me anytime to fill out a Volunteer Application and discuss which area best suits your talents. Those interested in becoming a direct-service volunteer need to become enrolled in Freedom House's 60-hour Volunteer Training Class, which will be scheduled in late spring.

All volunteers must agree to support Freedom House's mission, assist in working toward the agency goals and be oriented about the services and operations of the agency. There are no degree, professional status, age, race, religion or other requirements for volunteers of Freedom House. All we ask is that volunteers sincerely want to help in the effort to serve victims of domestic violence and their children and victims of sexual assault and abuse and their significant others.

Freedom House is constantly challenged in its ability to provide help to every domestic violence or sexual assault victim that calls us or shows up on our doorstep. Thanks for offering your time and talent and for being part of the solution! You truly can make a difference. Those interested in volunteering, may reach me during the week, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (815) 872-0087, Ext. 224.