A New Look At Volunteering With The Domestic Violence Intervention Program

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The Volunteer Voice

A look at the impact of volunteers and the face of the new “virtual” volunteer! 

Volunteers are an essential part to the big picture success of nonprofits, and DVIP is no exception. Since its inception, the core of our agency has been fully rooted in the philanthropy, dedication and kindness of community members that give their time to support victims/survivors of domestic violence. As DVIP has grown, so has the volunteer program and the impact on clients, staff and services alike. With the addition of the volunteer match funding in recent years, we are now able to turn volunteer hours into actual dollars of funding provided to DVIP!

Let’s look at the numbers:

  • FY05 Total Volunteer Hours: 1,327
  • FY10 Number of Volunteers: 149
  • FY10 Total Volunteer Hours: 3,226
  • FY15 Number of Volunteers: 65
  • FY15 Volunteer Hours: 1421
  • FY20 number of volunteers: 432
  • FY20 Total Volunteer Hours: 3,175
  • Volunteer Match Funding: approx. $44,500 (approx. $14 per hour of volunteer work)*

*FY means Fiscal Year

The COVID Effect

DVIP has remained open and fully operational throughout the pandemic, our advocates, support staff and volunteers have been adaptable in providing services to those who need it most. Many services have shifted to phone and/or video calls and text messaging. We are proud to be able to continue meeting victims/survivors where they are.

Impact of COVID:

  • 28% increase in calls to our crisis line
  • 76% increase in spending for emergency housing 
  • Limited in-person client services
  • Shut-down of new volunteer on-boarding
  • No in-person fundraising and/or volunteer opportunities

Rising positivity rates across the state has called for us to shut down the onboarding of new in person volunteers, so we have to get creative with how we utilize our current volunteers in a virtual way. That begins with reimagining the volunteer role in a virtual setting and how to continue to utilize a volunteer’s skill set through no-contact engagements. 

Volunteering comes in a variety of time commitments and skill sets. Are you the type of person who organizes your sock drawer, or better yet, someone else’s? We could use your organization! Are you talented in social media advertising or know all the latest trends in fundraising? We could use your insight! Maybe you are the quickest knitter west of the Mississippi. We want your needle points moving for us!

Now it’s up to you….We would love to hear from you! Fill out this Google Form and tell us more about you and your talents!

[themify_button bgcolor=”yellow” size=”large” link=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKWq0t6LbKWkCKL-8r_wxdfmufWYbiGjRIK8-FixDz7MA7ZA/viewform”]Volunteer Google Form[/themify_button]