HAWC Volunteer Program

HAWC currently enlists the assistance of about 200 active volunteers! Volunteers are recruited by means of  public service announcements and through community education. We value our volunteers as they are often times the first point of contact a person has when looking for help.

Basic 40-hour training sessions are held twice a year; after which volunteers may work on the hotline.  Additional training classes are offered in legal advocacy, children's services, support group facilitation, and emergency response to victims. If you are interested in taking the volunteer training, please sign up for one of the following orientation sessions to learn more about being a HAWC volunteer: December 17, January 17 or 24. All sessions are at 6pm at our main office in Salem. Contact Hannah to register.

Trained Volunteers may participate in a variety of HAWC programs. We also provide undergraduate and graduate internships for college students.

Volunteer Opportunities

Here is a brief description of what trained volunteers do at HAWC:

Hotline  This is where most volunteers begin their experience. It gives you the opportunity to practice the skills you've learned in the training.

Children's Services  Here you have the option to assist with childcare at the shelter or during support groups.  Allowing moms to comfortably attend groups or just get a small break is such an important part of healing when they can trust the care of their children to a HAWC volunteer.

Legal Advocacy  Volunteers interested in working in the courts will receive additional training  to learn how to provide legal advocacy to victims.  Part of this specialized training includes shadowing legal advocates in court until a self-determined comfort level is reached.

Support Group Facilitation - Weekly day and evening groups are held in various communities on the North Shore. Each group is led by staff and co-facilitators. Volunteer co-facilitators must complete an additional 10 hours of training. This time is divided between training with staff and group observation.

H.E.A.R.T. HAWC Emergency Advocacy Response Team - This program trains you to respond to after hour calls from victims in need of emergency assistance at the Beverly Police Department. Volunteers are required to carry a pager and complete follow up calls to a victim after an arrest. An additional 4 hours of training and experience answering the hotline is required.

Not all of HAWC's volunteers need training:

Admin. Support  Help answering our business lines, making copies and mailings is always needed. One or two hours a day makes a huge difference.

Special Projects  Assistance with special events and fundraisers is needed. The Walk for HAWC is our only annual fundraiser and requires the need for many volunteers. 

Volunteers: painting, scrubbing, organizing our shelter.

The next training will take place in the Fall 2008. Please contact Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Hannah McClelland for details at: (978) 744-2299 Ext. 11  or hannahm@helpabusedwomen.org

Also if you would like to receive information about our volunteer program, please feel free to fill out the online information request form.