About the same time that I started doing public speaking, I saw an article in the local paper that this local victim of crime division was wanting volunteers. So I applied to be a volunteer. My intention was to be a hospital volunteer.
Basically, a hospital volunteer goes to the hospital and is a support person while the victims are being examed and having a Rape Kit done if they chose to.
I got accepted into the program. The requirement before being a volunteer was to go through a very intense 4 weekend (8 hours each day) to understand the dynamics of victims of crime and how volunteers help.
Through this education, I realized that I wanted to be a hospital volunteer because I wanted to be superwoman and safe these victims. I wanted to convince these victims to get the rape kit done. to press charges. I realized I wanted to live through these victims since I never pressed charges on any of my abusers.
Also through this education that a hospital person is only there for support. It can be to hold their hands. Talk about the weather, sports or anything else they choose to talk about to keep their mind off of what was happening. A hospital volunteer has to be non-bias. They are not there to give their opinion. They are just there to support the victim.
After realizing that I might not be completely at a healing point that I could be a hospital volunteer. So instead I decided to be a phone volunteer. So for the next 4 years, I volunteered twice a month to answer the phone when victims of crime would call to get information about resources, court proceeding or even just to talk to someone for a few minutes. It was very rewarding.
After that 4 years, I talked to my beautiful butterfly and decided that I had worked through some of those stuck moments. So I decided to start being a hospital volunteer. I have had a few triggers ie victims around the same ages I was during my traumas, victims that reacted to just wanting to take a shower to get the abusers smell off of them (I understood what they meant) and even sexual traumas that occured near me. When those triggers happened I just make sure that I get in touch with one of my support people and just processed how I was feeling with them.
I have been doing the hospital volunteer position for about 3 years. I feel like I am making a difference at least for a moment in a victims life. I am very proud of myself for being able to be non-bias and to be able to just be there for someone going through probably one of the hardest and traumatic events in their lives. Take Care Much Love
