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Volunteer

Volunteers are the heart of the Rowan Center.

Volunteers can make a difference by working directly with clients on our 24-hour hotline, tabling at community awareness fairs, or helping in our office or at fundraising events.

General Volunteer Opportunities

Event Volunteering

Event Volunteering is a great way to help the Rowan Center without making a long-term commitment – and it’s a fun way for you to get to know us and what we do. No training needed. You can be part of one of our event committees or help us “the day of.” *Helping during events is a great way for youth to complete community service hours while raising awareness on an important cause.

Community Outreach Volunteering

Community fairs and public awareness campaigns are also an excellent way to become involved with sexual violence prevention. Outreach is the core activity that allows the community to know about the services we have available for them. Ages 18 and over.

Volunteer Advocate Opportunities

Hotline Volunteering

In many cases, it’s our hotline volunteers who are a victim’s first point of contact with our agency. And it may be the first time a victim has ever spoken of their assault. For this reason, it’s critical we have dedicated and committed people working with us.

See our Hotline FAQ section below to learn if this is the right fit for you.

All direct service volunteers (counseling and hotline) must successfully complete our Certification Training Program.

All volunteers must fill in an application and email it to Jorge Lopez-Martinez, Director of Advocacy and Training (Bilingual EN/ES), at jlopez@therowancenter.org.

Ages 18 and over.

Sexual Assault Crisis Advocate Training

This 40-hour certification training consists of individual modules on the appropriate topics conducted by staff members of The Rowan Center who are experts in their individual areas. Sessions contain readings, videos, guest speakers, site visits to both a hospital emergency room and local police station, role plays, group and individual exercises.

Upon completion of the course, you will have a better understanding on the topic of sexual violence and its effects on survivors and their family and friends. This course will prepare you for your role as a volunteer advocate on our 24-hour crisis hotline. Training topics include: sexual violence 101, counseling, medical accompaniments, mandatory reporting procedures, crisis intervention, and medical and police procedures.

For information regarding training sessions, please contact Jorge Lopez-Martinez, Director of Advocacy and Training (Bilingual EN/ES), at jlopez@therowancenter.org.

Ages 18 and over.

Apply To Volunteer with the Rowan Center

Hotline F.A.Q.

What kind of training/degree/experience do I need to be a hotline volunteer?

We provide all of the training you will need to help victims of sexual violence and once you complete the 40 hour training course, you will be a state-certified Sexual Assault Crisis Advocate. No additional degree/training/experience is required.

Do I have to be a certain age to volunteer?

To become a state-certified Sexual Assault Crisis Advocate Volunteer and work on the hotline you must be at least 18 years old.

How much time do I have to commit to volunteering?

Initially, to become a Sexual Assault Crisis Advocate Volunteer, you must complete a 40-hour training course. The training usually runs for 3 weeks. Sessions are usually held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-8:30pm and Saturdays from 9:00am-2:00pm. To find out about our next training and tentative schedule, please contact Jorge Lopez-Martinez, Director of Advocacy and Training (Bilingual EN/ES), at jlopez@therowancenter.org..
If you are working on the hotline, we ask that you sign up for a minimum of four, 6-hour shifts per month. To maintain certification, you must complete 6 additional hours of sexual violence training per year (July 1 – June 30).

What qualifications must I meet to work the Hotline?

You will need means of transportation, valid driver’s license and a phone that are available to you for those times when you are “on call”. You will not need to come to our office during your shift hours. The Rowan Center’s answering service will transfer the call to you. Nevertheless, many times you will need to answer a call that will require you travel to Greenwich, Norwalk or Stamford hospitals or to a local police station to support a victim. You will need to arrive to a location within 45 minutes of the call. As a reminder, The Rowan Center serves the following towns: Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

How much will it cost?

Certification Training is provided by The Rowan Center for a nominal fee ($50) to cover the cost of materials and background check. You will need to provide us with authorization to run a criminal background check. You will need to provide us with a picture of yourself so that we can create your Volunteer ID card. You will receive this ID upon completion of the training and once you have received your certification.

Are there any possibilities to advance in the agency from volunteering at The Rowan Center?

Several of our current employees joined the team after volunteering for The Rowan Center first.