HAWC seeks volunteers

SALEM – The North Shore’s largest emergency shelter and counseling service for victims of domestic violence is seeking volunteers for a variety of roles.Help for Abused Women and their Children (HAWC) needs volunteers to staff its 24-hour abuse hotline, become court advocates, work with children at the shelter and help facilitate support groups.”It’s a unique opportunity to help people in a very real way,” said Hannah McClelland, the volunteer coordinator, noting that the training session begins Monday, Sept. 8.”Our 40-hour training will inform you about the causes of domestic violence and will equip you to do direct service work with people in abusive situations,” she said. “You will learn how to assist adults in breaking the cycle of violence, how domestic violence impacts children, how to access resources within systems on many levels, and how to help individuals identify types of domestic abuse. Once trained, you can answer the hotline from your own home.”Anyone interested in the training should attend a one-hour orientation session to learn more about HAWC and its volunteer program. Sessions are scheduled for July 24 and 30 and Aug. 6, at 6 p.m. in HAWC’s main office in Salem.To register for an orientation session, contact McClelland at 978-744-2299, ex.11, or email her at [email protected] volunteers are interviewed and a Criminal Offender Record Investigation (CORI) is conducted before participation in the training commences.HAWC services 23 towns and cities across the North Shore.