Helping HOPE

On April 21, 2012 I volunteered for Panther Service day from 11am-4pm. there were many areas that Eastern students went to help but I volunteered to help HOPE. HOPE is a domestic violence non-for-profit organization. The purpose of HOPE is to help provide Housing, Outreach, Prevention, and Education. HOPE has helped more than 800 people in the past year. People are allowed to stay at the emergency shelter for up to 30 days and transitional housing for up to 2 years. They offer opportunities for people to volunteer but in order to work with clients it requires training that HOPE offers. 

A group of Eastern students including myself went to the storage facility and helped do some spring cleaning for the organization. We had to move around tables, beds, bags of clothes, toys and books. HOPE will be having a sale and they needed us to help organize the materials. Also they needed our help to move around things to help them figure out what they should keep and what they should throw away. The services that I provided reflected information learned in the FCS course disadvantaged family by showing that there are many facilities that disadvantaged families use. The storage facility that we cleaned out was a place that families got to bring there items that would not fit in their transitional home or at the shelter. When a family is the victim of domestic violence the last thing they should have to worry about is where they will put there things when they are trying to escape the situation. HOPE does a very good job of providing the clients with anything they could need so that they do not have to worry.

 I actually networked with the other students as well as the leader from HOPE who informed us of what we would be doing. She asked who would be trying to help in social work which myself and another girl were and she said if we needed an internship to contact her. Her name was Angie Hunt. She also informed us that if we would like some more volunteer information to contact her as well which looks good on a resume. 

 I feel that this assignment was very rewarding because it let me know that there are some good facilities in Charleston that actually help people in need. It also makes me realize how privileged I am that I did not have to go through something so tragic but it makes me happy to lend a helping hand. 
Sherry Gunn