Volunteer for SAVA
Tanya Cadwell, Direct Service and Volunteer Coordinator
SAVA, like many non-profit organizations, relies on volunteers to keep our services up and running. SAVA is involved in more schools than previous years and our offices have seen an influx of clients needing advocacy or therapy services. This expansion doesn’t necessarily indicate that the rate of sexual violence have increased, but we can reasonably assume that increased awareness and education about sexual assault is causing more folks to speak up and reach out for help, which is a very good thing! With more clients and programs comes a greater need for volunteers…and without volunteers, staff would be very limited in our abilities to focus on more clients! 
SAVA volunteers are so special because they intentionally put themselves in front of the one of the most difficult parts of our society, talking about sexual assault; and that is difficult for many people to face. Certainly, it’s not always an easy thing to do! Not only that, but time is one of the most valuable possessions in this world, especially for those who are juggling their job, school, kids, and anything else that life can throw at them. Therefore, asking people to dedicate their time is not an easy request, especially when that time is spent advocating for survivors in a world that can often be cruel to those who speak out. This work can be emotionally exhausting and will give a person a different perspective on how they see the world and their place in it. Everyone has their own motivations for volunteering but I can say that I am eternally grateful for those who dedicate their time to help SAVA towards our goal of ending sexual violence.
Here is a glimpse into the unique and meaningful roles of our volunteers.
If you are a student in an undergraduate or graduate program seeking job experience, consider becoming an intern at SAVA! SAVA will provide the training, tools, and support for you to grow and succeed within this organization and develop the professional skills that employers look for. Interns get to wear many hats, meaning that they have numerous avenues to explore their interests in working with the community and survivors that help staff work towards our goal of ending sexual violence.
The prevention education program is the fastest growing department at SAVA! Are you interested in working with youth? Do you like running? Consider joining the fun at SuperWorld, a summer program for 8-12 year olds. We recruit mentors who are 16 years or older that can help facilitate group discussions as well as train for a 5k race at the end of the summer. Kids discuss topics like healthy bodies, boundaries, communication, and safety. These are the building blocks for later conversations that they will have in middle and high school SAVA programs that discuss things like healthy/unhealthy relationships, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and bystander intervention.This is a rare but awesome opportunity to integrate exercise with education. This is probably the most fun you will have in any of our programs!
SART, or the Sexual Assault Resource Team, calls for volunteers 18 years and older to act as mentors for high school students that give presentations about sexual violence and related topics to their classmates. Seeing these young adults dedicate their time and effort to educate their peers about topics as important as sexual violence prevention gives me hope for positive change in our culture with future generations. They are teaching other students about healthy relationships, communication and consent, how to respond to someone who has experienced sexual harassment or assault, how to prevent violence from happening, and much more! If you ever want to check out what these awesome students are up to, I suggest getting involved as a SART mentor!
Busy schedule? No problem! Special event volunteers do not require training and can sign up to work at their leisure. SAVA hosts and attends many fundraising/awareness raising events that we need extra hands to help make possible. Some events are open for kids to help out, too! This year we hosted our first ever Strides for Survivors reflections walk and concert that utilized over 30 volunteers help set up, serve food, build crafts, and help with security on a sunny spring day…all while jamming out to live music in a park! In 2018, the Soiree fundraiser hosted over 700 guests and wouldn’t have been so successful if it weren’t for our special event helpers. As a bonus, volunteers got to stay and enjoy the event when finished with their shift. So, there are some definite perks to being a special event volunteer!
Looking for something more involved? The SAVA Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week where hotline advocates offer support, resources, and information for survivors and their loved ones. Volunteers undergo 40 hours of crisis intervention and response training that prepares them for taking calls and responding out to the hospital or police station to meet with clients. This is a great doorway for someone who wants to work in victim services, given the training opportunities and experience of working directly with survivors.
Are you bilingual in Spanish or other languages? Did you know that SAVA provides advocacy and therapy for monolingual Spanish speaking clients? Our organization always has a need for Spanish speaking volunteers that can assist clients with advocacy or doing community outreach to our LatinX populations. Bilingual advocates can help with fundraising, staff an informational booth at an event, co-facilitate support groups, present at community meetings, find new and creative ways to reach the community, and support clients that stop in for advocacy and support.
Let’s not forget our fabulous board members who get to call the shots! The board of directors are comprised of community members that oversee the operations, funding, and strategic planning to keep SAVA growing and pushing forward.
