February 11th, 2011:

Massachusetts has a lot of ‘firsts’ – state constitution, public park, American railroad, American novel, basketball… I could go on.  (So could Secretary of the Commonwealth Galvin.)  But we also have a couple of really important ‘seconds.’  One of our ‘seconds’ is Respond, Inc., New England’s first domestic violence agency and the second oldest in the nation.  That, my friends, is a ‘second’ that deserves top billing, and it’s also today’s where-can-I-do-good idea!

Respond, Inc.’s work began in the early 1970s, when four Somerville women started a grassroots effort to support victims of domestic violence.  They opened their own homes as safe havens for women fleeing abuse and, in 1974, these “founding mothers” officially formed Respond, Inc.  With limited means to pioneer such a huge undertaking — no formal education, no financial resources, and no business experience — they were armed only with the desire to end the unfair treatment of women.  In fact, they didn’t even have the law on their side: unfair treatment of women wasn’t yet called domestic abuse and it certainly wasn’t illegal.  Hard to believe, right?  Today the agency has served as a catalyst to change lives and legislation and has served over 65,000 people since its inception.

How do they make it happen?  People like you.

Volunteers are the backbone of RESPOND’s team — this year, they logged over 3,500 hours!  No matter what your focus, there’s something you can do to get involved and help.

Do you like hands-on projects? They are always looking for help with tasks like painting office space, cleaning, and organizing the children’s playroom so parents can have a clean, fun, safe space to leave their children when they are in groups or counseling.

More the office type? They consistently need administrative volunteers to help address letters, mail, and direct mail appeals.

Are you a professional? Experienced with law?  Event-planning?  Web design?  Public relations?  Construction? You name it, they’ll be happy to have you.  Expertise volunteers are essential to RESPOND’s operations.   Lawyers work directly with clients addressing their legal needs (divorce, custody, restraining order appearance, immigration).   An entire team of volunteers created their website.  They have a consultant who lends her skill to PR campaigns and folks who donate carpentry skills.

Still want to do more?  How about direct service? I’ve talked in the past about direct engagement — RESPOND is definitely accepting volunteers willing to be very involved!  Volunteers who want to provide direct services in the shelter, including answering the 24-hour emergency hotline, must complete an in-depth 40-hour training.  (Training series take place 3 times per year and occur on evenings and weekends.)  It takes some extra effort on your part, but the results are undeniable.  Everyone who volunteers is personally helping fight domestic abuse.  It’s huge, and your aid is crucial.

Ready for a regular weekly opportunity? Volunteers who are able to commit to a weekly assignment in the Community Service Center are very desirable.  Having someone volunteer to cover reception (answering the phones and doors) is a regular need – administrative volunteers like these complete only a three hour general training which they fit to the volunteer’s schedule.

Are you all about the big stuff? Respond also uses volunteers to help with their annual signature gala fundraising event.  The volunteer gala committee members become ambassadors of the event and the agency to the larger community—soliciting business to donate goods and services for our auction, corporate sponsorships, encouraging guests to purchase tickets and linking RESPOND to the greater community.  Pictures, sponsors, etc from last year’s event can be found here.  It’s a fun way to volunteer, learn more about the agency, raise funds and help spread the word about domestic violence prevention and intervention services.  Last year’s gala raised nearly $100,000 in operating funds!

Just looking for some entertainment for a good cause? They also have an event coming up on February 15—The Birds and The Bees concert at Club Passim.  Opening the benefit will be Annie Lynch of the Beekeepers.  With two CDs under their belts, Annie and the Beekeepers have played at festivals and industry events such as South By Southwest, Philly Folk Festival, Boston Folk Festival, and England’s End of the Road Festival.  If you like folk music or helping good causes, this is the event for you.

So don’t waste another minute.  Check out Respond and make a difference!