Family Shelter Service - Providing help and hope for victims of domestic violence!

Serving Dupage County, IL
24-hour hotline: 630 469 5650
For everything else: 630 221 8290

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Volunteer

A Work of Heart
The opportunity to make a difference in someone's life is at the heart of the volunteer experience. At Family Shelter Service, we recognize that volunteers are a valuable resource and our best ambassadors. Volunteers make the choice to help. Simply because they care, volunteers have a far-reaching positive impact on our clients and the community.

Opportunities and Positions
We know that individual skills and interests vary and that not everyone can volunteer the same amount of time. Therefore, we offer many opportunities with various time commitments.

Persons interested in working directly with clients need to complete the state-mandated 48-hour training. The training covers a wide range of topics, from understanding the cultural contexts of violence in America to addressing legal issues that victims face. Training explores questions such as: why do people choose to abuse and why don't victims just leave? For more information click here.

For those who have completed the training, we have opportunities such as:

	Shelter Supporter
	Hotline Volunteer
	Court Advocate Volunteer
	Children's Program Volunteer
	Childcare Assistance

For those who cannot take the training program to work with clients, other opportunities include:

	In-kind Donation Volunteer
	Office Support Volunteer
	Resale Shop Volunteer
	Volunteer Program Assistant
	Assist with Special Events

Steps to Becoming a Volunteer:

1.	Call our Volunteer Coordinator at (630) 221-8290.
2.	Meet with the Volunteer Coordinator to explore your interests and skills.
3.	Discuss the match between your skills and interests and our program needs.
4.	Complete the volunteer application.
5.	Participate in training (on-the-job training and/or the 40-hour training).
6.	Conduct a site visit to the location of your chosen position to meet the people you will work with and to ask questions.
7.	Begin volunteering.

What you can expect:
Volunteers are valuable resources to the agency, our staff and our clients. It is our goal that volunteers will be:

	trusted and respected as people who make unique contributions;
	able to freely discuss problems, ask questions and make suggestions;
	given sound guidance and direction by staff and senior volunteers;
	provided orientation, training, support, supervision and evaluation.

Violence in the home strikes at the heart of our community – our families. But with intervention, the cycle of abuse can be broken. Volunteers truly make a difference in the lives of victims of domestic abuse and their children.

"I have gained great insight into the strength of human beings by working with victims of domestic abuse. They are truly an inspiration to me."

- a Volunteer

"I began volunteering because I wanted to give back to my community, but victims of domestic abuse have given me something; they have taught me the meaning of resilience and bravery."

- a Volunteer