On-call advocates needed to support victims of sexual assault, human trafficking and domestic violence

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - In the last year, on-call advocates with the Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls Family Support Centers have taken more than 500 calls regarding sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking. Those calls come in for various reasons.

“We provide support and advocacy to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking,” said Resource Development Coordinator Lori Borg.

Borg says someone still needs to be there for victims on weekends and after business hours.

“People in crisis, those crises don’t always happen during work hours and so when people call after 4:30 and all throughout the night and through the morning they get our on-call advocates,” Borg said.

On-call advocates, like Emily Miller, can be considered heroes for the work they do in this role.

“Sometimes a caller is just looking to vent they have something going on and need to get it off their chest and I’m here to hear them and support them. Sometimes people are calling looking for shelter so I connect them with shelter ... it comes down to being the point person and connecting them with the appropriate support and resources,” Miller says.

While the position is 100% volunteer work, Miller says it pays off, in its own way.

“I personally am a survivor of sexual assault so for me I find it to be a very powerful experience to be able to connect with other survivors and be able to connect them to other resources that I might have not known about when I was going through it,” said Miller.

Borg says she sees the impact that these, on-call advocates, have within the community and the need for their work.

“It’s vital that people when they’re having a tough time working through a crisis, whether it be a current crisis they’re experiencing or if they’re triggered by something in their life that we can help them work through the situation,” says Borg.

“You have to be a compassionate person who is willing to listen as long as you have those two things they train and prepare you for the rest,” Miller said.

Miller says she sees herself continuing volunteer work for many years to come.

The Family Support Center is looking to add five volunteers to their team of on-call advocates. It is preferred you live in or near the Chippewa Valley.

To see how you can get involved, or to seek their services email resourcedev@fsccf.org

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