Volunteers are an incredibly important part of the services Safe Passage provides. We rely on volunteers to help us serve as many people as possible. Safe Passage offers three extensive 35 hour trainings per year, drawing from communities throughout Western Massachusetts. Our volunteer program regularly has 30 active volunteers and interns who provide direct service including hotline and shelter coverage, administrative assistance, and housing, legal, and child care advocacy. Our volunteers have also worked on a number of specific projects around education and outreach in diverse communities, public awareness around domestic violence, public policy and legislation around issues of domestic violence, and organizing events for the community.
Unlike many organizations in which volunteers are asked to pitch in wherever they are needed on a given day, volunteers at Safe Passage are essential to our efforts to address domestic violence in Hampshire County.. We ask all volunteers to make a 12-month commitment to the organization, and that they complete at least 16 hours of work per month. In order to maintain communication and gain feedback, each volunteer will meet with the volunteer coordinator for a monthly check-in.
If you choose to volunteer at Safe Passage, you will see that we don't take our work or your contribution lightly. Through volunteering for Safe Passage you will learn a great deal about domestic violence, the resilience of survivors and their resistance to abuse, related forms of oppression, and yourself. Being a volunteer at Safe Passage can further your own skills and self-confidence, and can provide you with an avenue for anti-violence activism. Most importantly, you will help make real our ultimate vision to stop domestic violence and create a world where everyone can thrive, free from abuse.
Information about volunteering at Safe Passage:
- Safe Passage's trainings are generally held in January, June, and September.
- Our trainings typically consist of several training sessions per week for four weeks, held during weekday evenings.
- People of any gender are welcome as volunteers.
- Prospective volunteers must complete and submit a volunteer application and meet with our Volunteer Coordinator for an interview before training begins. We ask that you begin your application process by submitting the volunteer application at least two weeks prior to the training.
- Volunteers must complete training before starting any direct service work.
- In addition to scheduled shifts, volunteers are required to attend 7 out of 12 monthly volunteer meetings (held in the evening).
If you are interested in volunteering, please download our application below and either mail it to Safe Passage or email us. Thank you for your support!
Volunteer Application (right click to save):
