Nanaimo RCMP Victim Services is looking for compassionate people willing to provide assistance to victims and witnesses of crime and other trauma.
Cheryl Zapotichny, program manager, said she hopes an upcoming orientation session in November for people interested in the program will attract about 10 dedicated volunteers who have life experience or training that allows them to relate to and connect with the people they will help. Volunteers need to be willing to commit at least one year to the program and will be dealing with people going through tragedy or crisis.
“Those that have some life experience and maybe even some schooling or work-related experience dealing with people … they’re people-people that have the experience dealing with people. We want somebody who can make that connection … someone who understands the job entails a lot of difficult situations and be prepared for that,” Zapotichny said.
She said program volunteers and staff get support as they deal with people in crisis and ensure they are looking after themselves as well.
“Being in it for the years I have, I feel it’s a privilege to be part of a person’s life, going through something that’s horrific and traumatic … the resilience of people, for me, is a reward,” said Zapotichny, who has been with the program 27 years. “It’s incredible what some people have gone through who are then able to move forward, so it’s quite a rewarding position to be in, for sure.”
All applicants must be 19 years of age, and be able to obtain a RCMP reliability status screening completed by the RCMP. They must pass an interview with victim services staff to determine suitability, be able to attend two three-hour training sessions per week for eight weeks, commit to give a minimum of four daytime hours per week for a minimum of one year and be available, once fully trained, to go on call and provide crisis intervention.
People who would like more information and are interested in volunteering are asked to attend an upcoming orientation session at the Nanaimo RCMP detachment, 303 Prideaux St., Nov. 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
There is no commitment from attending the orientation session.
“We just have this orientation so that people, if they wish to commit, they’re fully informed about what it’s all about,” Zapotichny said.
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