National Volunteer Week, sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, falls in the third week of April every year. It is a time when we focus attention on the power of community engagement and the generous people who choose volunteering as a way to give back. During this month we will be spotlighting the work of some very special people who choose to help their community through volunteering.
Linda Gearhart
Linda Gearhart is a divorced mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who has been volunteering at Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services (DASAS) for over twelve years. She serves as an Emergency Response Volunteer which means that she goes out to a victim’s home after there’s been an arrest for domestic violence. She was originally recruited for this volunteer job by a friend who worked at DASAS, because the friend thought she would be good at it. Linda had been looking for a way to give back to her community and found this assignment a perfect way to do that.
Emergency Response Volunteers at DASAS work in pairs and are scheduled to be on-call mostly during weekends. Once they receive a call that an arrest has been made, the volunteers meet at a convenient location and go out together to the home of the victim. Once there, they sit with the victim and let them talk about what has just happened to them. They provide information about community resources that may be helpful. They explain about the DASAS shelter and offer to take the victim there if that is the wish of the victim. They also suggest to the victim action steps that should be taken in the event of future assaults. These steps can include preparing an escape plan, gathering important documents, and creating code words to use with their children and family members indicating that help is needed. The volunteers also advise the victim that a staff advocate will contact them on the next business day.
Kin Kramer, DASAS Executive Director, praises the work that Linda does and said that she “goes above and beyond.” Our agency, says Kramer, could not serve clients as well as they do without the generous help of volunteers like Linda. Linda says that the work she does with DASAS gives her enormous satisfaction, knowing that she has been able to help someone during a very difficult time. When asked what she would say to others who may be considering this type of volunteer work, she said she would tell them it’s “good for your heart.”
DASAS is currently looking for new volunteers to serve on the Emergency Response team. If Linda’s story has inspired you to help, please call Rita Reed at 269-273-6154 ext. 109.
When natural disasters happen, there is an immediate and critical need for people who can help their neighbors. Have you ever wondered who those people are, where they come from, and how they know what to do? The Salvation Army is traditionally called upon to assist in disaster response and the corps office serving St. Joseph and Branch Counties is currently recruiting people to serve on the Emergency Disaster Services team. Training will be held in Grand Rapids from April 9 through 12. Volunteers are required to attend just one of those training days and transportation will be provided. If you are willing to be on the EDS team, please call DeWayne Duskin immediately at 269-651-4275 for more information.
Other programs in St. Joseph County that are looking for volunteers and would like to be included in this weekly column are encouraged to register with United Way. Contact Margaret Shultz, Volunteer Services Specialist, at 269-467-9099 or at volunteer.sjcuw@gmail.com.