Contact the Volunteer Center
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
connect@scvolunteercenter.org
©2017 Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, an affiliate of the HandsOn Connect, 1740 17th Ave | Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Opportunity Details
A legal advocate for survivors of domestic violence attends family law restraining order hearings in person at the Watsonville courthouse to provide assistance with legal paperwork, provide peer and emotional support, answer general questions about the legal system without offering legal advice, liaise between the survivor and court employees, and offer local legal resources as needed.
Previous experience in advocacy or law is not required. Training is included and meets the California legal requirements to be certified as an advocate for domestic violence survivors (California Evidence Code §1037).
Why It Matters
Current research shows that, in the US, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience some form of abuse from an intimate partner. Domestic violence has a reciprocal relationship with other forms of abuse of power, such as racism, transphobia, and ableism, and it is the primary cause of homelessness among women. It impacts not only the well-being of an individual but also the family, the community, and society as a whole. Because domestic violence is so prevalent, it comes up in areas outside of domestic violence agencies: hospitals, therapists’ offices, substance use recovery programs, homelessness, schools, families, friend groups, corporate workplaces, law enforcement, etc.
Benefits
Requirements
Time Commitment
Associated Costs
If cost is a barrier for you, please contact the community engagement coordinator to discuss your options without judgment at mcoffey@wafwc.org.
To Get Started
The first step is to attend a volunteer orientation at Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center, which happen about twice a month/every two weeks. To hear upcoming dates and times and to register for the one which works best for you, please call our office at (831) 426-3062. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact our community engagement coordinator, Marjorie Coffey, at mcoffey@wafwc.org.
It is the policy of Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center to provide equal employment, volunteer opportunities and services to participants (EEO) to all persons regardless of ancestry, age, color, national origin, disability (physical and mental, includes HIV and AIDS), genetic information, race, religion (includes religious dress and grooming), gender, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, military or veteran, request for FMLA or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.
Get Involved...Select the Red "Express Interest" button below
**This is a Referral Opportunity, which means it is run directly by one of our nonprofit partners. Once you express interest, someone from the partner organization should follow up with you shortly to discuss confirming you as a volunteer for this opportunity.
Age Minimum (with Adult): 18+, Minimum Age:18+
In order to register for this opportunity you must log in to an existing account or register to create a new account.
This link allows you to participate in this opportunity with a team. A team can be a family team, corporate team, or any kind of organized group. When you click on the link you will have the option to:
Please respond to the following questions in order to signup for this opportunity:
©2017 Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, an affiliate of the HandsOn Connect, 1740 17th Ave | Santa Cruz, CA 95062
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