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Volunteers 'lifeblood' of Victim Services

Jessica Klinkenberg
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 08/06) - Yellowknife Victim Services recognized the contributions of its volunteers with a dinner held on Tuesday night to mark International Volunteer Day.

Emily Lawson, Victim Services co-ordinator, said volunteers are essential for their organization.

"They give so much of their time," she said. "We have a crisis line and that phone is on seven days a week, 24 hours a day."
NNSL Photo/graphicWherever you give of your time, you plant a seed of wonderful flowering of growth in a person and work. Keep up the good work.NNSL Photo/graphic -- Marie Speakman, Victim Services worker.

Lawson said that International Volunteer Day is an important occasion to recognize because volunteers are the "lifeblood" of the organization.

"They really are," she said.

Six crisis hotline volunteers shared dinner and laughs Tuesday night, while also sharing stories of the hard times they have seen.

"If there's a crisis and the RCMP call, they go out," said Lawson.

Volunteers go through about 36 hours of training to help them handle the crises they may encounter. Volunteers spend a week of their time each month responding to crisis calls after hours, pointing callers towards the organizations that can help them with their crisis.

"They provide such a necessary service," said Lawson. "Any time there's a victim...they're there and are able to quickly refer people to services."

Lawson said the reward for what they do is the thanks they receive from the people they help.

"We hear a lot (from people) 'I don't know what we would've done without you,' and it's rewarding," she said.

Garry Burt, a volunteer with Victim Services since 1999, said, "The worst call you'll ever get is just as bad as the RCMP."

Burt began volunteering following his retirement.

"I do enjoy helping people," he said.

For a while, he was the only volunteer with the crisis hotline for Victim Services.

"Four weekends in a row I was called out," he said.

Calls they respond to could be muggings, assaults, or even sudden deaths.

"For our purposes, Victim Services provides that personal touch that our personal resources don't allow us at the time," said RCMP Const. Roxanne Dreilich at the dinner Tuesday night. Dreilich accepted a rose and a certificate from Victim Services co-ordinator Emily Lawson.

Dreilich said the RCMP is grateful to have the services and resources that Victim Services provides.

Jim Woodruff, pastor with the newly-formed First Apostolic Church, is new to the Victim Services team.

"I just wanted to help the community and gain new skills to help people," he said.

Woodruff said he thinks his skills as a pastor will help him as a volunteer.