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- Volunteering at DVIP
Volunteering is a meaningful way to address the impact of intimate partner violence in our communities.
The first step is easy! Just fill out the volunteer application and our volunteer coordinator will be in contact with you to talk about the next steps.
(Please note that it may take up to ten days to process your volunteer application.)
If you have any questions throughout the application process, please contact our Community Engagement Department at 319-930.2030 or by email at communityengagement@dvipiowa.org
Our volunteer opportunities include:
Direct Service Volunteers go through intensive additional volunteer training and sign a 2-year commitment contract to be able to assist advocates and provide support for Shelter and Outreach departments including but not limited to:- Answering crisis calls and providing resources to clients over the phone.
- Bringing individuals into the shelter and completing emergency shelter intakes.
- Providing support, information, and referrals to clients.
- Assisting with daily operations of shelter: donations, supplies, cleaning, and organizing.
- Attend protective order hearings or file for TPOs with clients.
- Provide support for youth services and youth programming.
- Support group facilitation.
- Meeting clients to drop off requested items.
Rural Services Volunteers assist the volunteer coordinator and outreach advocates with a variety of services including:- Pick-up, organize, and distribute donations.
- Cleaning and organizing at our transitional housing spaces, Journey House and Serenity House.
- Assist with community events by tabling on behalf of DVIP & RVAP.
- If they choose, rural services volunteers can be trained as direct service volunteers to support advocates with services including but not limited to: client transportation, client and/or family support during sexual assault examinations, meeting clients with needed donations at a public location, and attending protective order hearings and filling out court paperwork with clients.
Support Service Volunteers work primarily with Shelter Coordinators, but may also work on projects with other DVIP staff to:
- Pick-up, organize and distribute donations.
- Respond to in-shelter resource/supply needs of shelter residents.
- Clean and stock supplies.
- Provide grounds maintenance.
Administrative Volunteers work primarily with DVIP Community Engagement on office-related projects including:
- General office work such as filing, organizing, digitizing files, mailings, and folding brochures.
- Sorting and processing donations and delivering to partner organizations when necessary.
- Cleaning the public office building’s main area.
Event Volunteers provide volunteer support for DVIP public events including the Souper Bowl and Shop for Shelter and can include:
- Groups/organizations and individual volunteers working shifts in support of a particular fundraising or donation event – for example: Shop for Shelter volunteers hand out shopping lists to guests
- Events that are open to the public and often involve volunteers interacting with the public on behalf of DVIP.
- Hosting a donation drive on behalf of DVIP based on top needs
- Can be a one-time group service project such as shelter yard or building maintenance
- One-time community volunteer groups are welcomed based on the current shelter populations and shelter needs. The following guidelines apply:
- A group confidentiality form must be signed by every participating volunteer.
- If the activity involves direct contact with DVIP clients and children, the activity must be approved by the Volunteer Coordinator, Director of Shelter Services, and current DVIP shelter residents.
- Current shelter residents must be notified of when the group will be in shelter.
- A reference check is not necessary for a volunteer group doing a one-time activity.
- One-time community volunteer groups are welcomed based on the current shelter populations and shelter needs. The following guidelines apply:
Board of Directors
Joining the Board of Directors is an outstanding way to share the resources and skills that you can uniquely offer. Our Board is very active in long-range goal planning and policy development, fundraising, and community education/awareness. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Board of Directors, contact DVIP at (319) 351-1042 for more information, or complete a Board of Directors Application(docx).
Board of Directors Application
Volunteer with Special Talents(i.e. plumbing, carpentry skills, etc. for a few hours or a weekend)
Many volunteers provide support by donating their special skills in our office or helping maintain our shelter. By providing technical assistance, office support, or home repair skills, volunteers provide an invaluable resource and help DVIP minimize overhead expenses.
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The Domestic Violence Intervention Program offers a comprehensive range of services including crisis intervention, safe shelter, counseling, advocacy, and support to meet the needs of victims and their families. Interns and Practicum students with DVIP must be able to demonstrate an understanding of domestic violence, be flexible and a self-starter in their work, be comfortable working in a high-stress environment, and be willing to learn and work within a trauma-informed model. All applicants will complete a background check process, reference checks, and Victim Counselor Training (20 hours). Positions are volunteer based and interns are supervised by the Volunteer Coordinator unless alternative supervision is required by internship registration.
Our internship opportunities include:
Social Justice and Administrative Intern (CE)Interns in this position will be responsible for assisting the Community Engagement Department with special projects and events as well as daily tasks within the department. Responsibilities will include:- Attending events on behalf of DVIP and supporting prevention education and fundraising goals – must be comfortable speaking with community members about DVIP services
- Participating in speaking engagements that support the goals of the agency
- Assisting with legislative research and supporting the CE department to develop rapid responses to legislative campaigns and political advocacy
- Fundraising event promotion and preparation
- Writing, printing, and designing mailings to support fundraising and outreach goals
- General office support and administrative tasks in an office setting
Interns in this position should be in a social science or nonprofit communications field.Direct Services Intern/Practicum (Shelter)Direct Service interns for the DVIP emergency shelter will be responsible for participating with advocates in conducting daily services at the shelter. Interns at the emergency shelter will be expected to shadow advocates to be able to complete a wide variety of client services including:- managing crisis line calls
- daily client communication
- client intakes and departures
- communicating with clients regarding services
- managing conflict when appropriate
- other daily tasks such as: cleaning client rooms, organizing donation spaces, and maintaining the cleanliness of the communal spaces.
Interns in this position should be in a social work or social services related field.Direct Services Intern/Practicum (Outreach)Direct Service interns for the DVIP Client Advocacy Services Department (Outreach) will be responsible for assisting advocates with a wide variety of client services in a mobile advocacy capacity. Interns with outreach will be expected to shadow advocates to be able to participate in multiple aspects of client services, including:- managing crisis line calls
- assisting with protective orders and attending hearings at the courthouse
- attending DART appointments with advocates and clients
- providing peer support and assisting with DVIP support groups
- assisting the housing coordinators with apartment showings and helping clients search for housing
- making appropriate referrals to other community resources.
Interns in this position should be in a social work or social services related field.Food Security Navigator (T2T, Food Donations)Food Security Navigator will coordinate with both the Community Engagement department and Shelter Services to meet ongoing food security needs. The intern in this position will communicate with the Shelter Manager and Donations Manager regarding the assigned responsibilities. These responsibilities include:- Managing the relationship and picking up donations with Table 2 Table for fresh food needs within the emergency shelter.
- Stocking the community fridges and pantry at the shelter
- Tending to the raised beds on site at shelter and harvesting the food when appropriate
- Coordinating with other local food sources for needed items such as eggs, produce, fruit
- Coordinating with local pantries when there is overflow to be managed
- Developing lists of top needed items in the pantry and over time at shelter to make Shop for Shelter more effective and efficient
Interns in this department should demonstrate a strong interest in community collaboration and enjoy working outdoors.Rural Prevention Education Navigator (CAS-S)Interns in this position will be responsible for assisting the Community Engagement and Client Advocacy Services departments in the southern tier of the DVIP service area, which includes: Washington, Henry, Lee, and Van Buren counties. Responsibilities for this position include:- Attending community events to support prevention education goals and be a presence for DVIP within the rural communities
- Volunteer recruitment for ongoing needs in those counties (cleaning at JH and SH, etc.)
- Picking up donations provided by community partners in CAS-S and coordinating with these programs to meet donation needs for JH and SH
- Coordinating with the Healthcare Liaison to expand on the healthcare resource list for clients in those counties
Interns in this position should demonstrate an understanding of rural services and be in a social services related field.Social Media Intern (CE)Interns in this position will report to the Community Engagement department and will be responsible for assisting the Community Engagement Coordinator with social media management and marketing for DVIP. Tasks include:- Creating social media posts for all platforms in line with DVIP materials and mission
- Developing an online presence for DVIP on TikTok and Snapchat
- Managing social media posts via Hootsuite
- Assisting with tracking reach of posts and frequency of views
- Creating social media campaigns to further develop prevention education (ex. Red flags, Green flags & Beige flags; What is mobile advocacy?; What to do if your friend needs help? etc.)
Interns in this position should be in a nonprofit management, marketing, or social services field.Analytics and Data Management InternInterns in this position will report to the Assistant Executive Director for daily responsibilities and assist with the development of agency practices regarding the new victim service database. Responsibilities include:- Developing strategies for “tagging” client services to develop efficient long-term data management and collection
- Tracking client logs throughout the system and developing methods for entering data to meet advocate and administrative needs for grant reporting
- Transferring current client data into the new database by managing data entry for the new database
- Analyzing the report system based on the developed tagging model
- Developing a protocol for entering client data that is effective for meeting the needs of advocates reporting services and for reports on an administrative level
- Assist with navigating the new victim services reporting system and develop intuitive models for staff use
Interns in this position should have extensive experience with data analytics, database development, and demonstrate an understanding of integrating staff feedback to develop user-friendly protocols.Interested in learning more about our internship opportunities? Contact our Volunteer Coordinator and Site Supervisor Ally Tippe at allisont@dvipiowa.org.
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With our utmost gratitude, the Domestic Violence Intervention Program would like to thank the following businesses for their ongoing financial and in-kind support in 2021!
Our advocates could not do the work they do without such an incredible community!
Organizations and Businesses:Alliant Energy Foundation
Axiom Consultants, LLC
CBI Bank & Trust
Cedar County Board of Supervisors
CHOMP
Christ the King Church
City of Coralville
City of Iowa City
City of North Liberty
Clean Life Inc.
College Thread
Wildwood Restaurant
First Congregational Church Mission Fund
Friends of the Animal Center Foundation
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Great Western Bank
Green State Credit Union
Her Drive Co.
Hills Bank and Trust Company
Holy Trinity High School in Ft. Madison
Iowa Women’s Foundation
JD Beauty Supply
Linder Tire Service
Little Village Magazine
Me Time Massage and Wellness in Burlington
MidAmerican Energy Company
Nestle (Purple Leash Project) with RedRover
Old Capitol Quilters Guild
Phi Alpha Delta
Sharon Center United Methodist
SouthGate Property Management
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
St. Mary’s Church
St. Patrick Church
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church
Target West Burlington
Target Coralville
The Benevity Community Impact Fund
Think Iowa City
Two Rivers Bank in Burlington
United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties
US Bank
VIBE Boxing Fitness
Vortex Business Solutions
Wellmark Foundation
Zion Lutheran Church
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Thanks for your interest in joining our DVIP team! Click the buttons below to learn about our current job openings. Our Southern tier service region is based in Henry, Des Moines, Lee, and Van Buren counties. Our Northern tier service region is based in Johnson, Iowa, Cedar, and Washington counties.
Domestic Violence Client Advocacy Services
Shelter Service Careers
Administrative Careers
Sexual Assault Advocacy Services