Battered Women’s Support Services

Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event

On Thursday, March 31, 2011, Battered Women’s Support Services hosted our annual Volunteer Appreciation Event.  Though we like to think that every day we are demonstrating appreciation to women who volunteer with us, our annual event is the only time when all volunteers, staff and board members get together to acknowledge, recognize and celebrate.

Women who volunteer at BWSS are a true reflection of our communities and tell the story of women’s survival and women’s liberation.  This year was our biggest and best event ever.  With the microphone open, women shared their stories of the connections, relationships and positive impact volunteering at BWSS has made in their lives and the impact they’ve been able to make in the lives of other women, children and men.

 

Here’s a video of the evening made by Davina Ridley, BWSS Aboriginal Women’s Crisis and Victim Support Worker:

 

VolunteerAppreciationEvent

Eighty-six women were in attendance representing all our volunteer programs:

Office Volunteer – women who answer our office business line, greet women who are coming for counselling appointments, support direct service and admin staff with the running of the office and our services (email Samantha for more info samantha@bwss.org ).

Peer Crisis Line and Intake Workers – women who have successfully completed BWSS Prevention and Intervention twelve week training program answer our crisis and intake line responding to callers who are dealing with violence and abuse.  Volunteers provide crisis support and intervention, information and referrals (email Jaclyn for more info intake@bwss.org ).

Support Group Facilitators – women who have successfully completed BWSS Prevention and Intervention twelve week training program co-facilitate our weekly drop – in Support Groups held at our Vancouver location and at the Downtown Eastside Women Centre, Ten Week Support Groups for women dealing with violence and abuse in their relationships and may co-facilitate other specialized groups with a member of our staff team (email Jaclyn for more info intake@bwss.org ).

My Sister’s Closet Retail Volunteers – women who volunteer at My Sister’s Closet – Social Enterprise of Battered Women’s Support Services, provide service and information to members of our community who shop at our store including women who access BWSS for support services who are spending “Fashion Dollars”, store volunteers create visual displays, make the store a welcoming and beautiful place, greet donors, select the fashion that line our racks and create our beautiful windows (email Mariana for more info mrsp@bwss.org ).

Social Media and Communication Volunteers – women who work in our communications department research and respond to current issues and events in our communities, in the provinces, in Canada and internationally, and especially at BWSS.  Our active communications program write media release, take pictures, create videos, post and link to our blog, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and other social media platforms communicating to encourage and engage conversation, that moves change in the areas of violence against women (email Angela for more info endingviolence@bwss.org ).

The Volunteer Appreciation Event was held at Federico’s Supper Club.  Our Volunteer Programs are possible with the financial support from The City of Vancouver, The Ministry of Solicitor General – Victim Service and Crime Prevention Division, My Sister’s Closet – Social Enterprise of Battered Women’s Support Services and from donors like you. 

To volunteer email us at intake@bwss.org.  To donate email us at endingviolence@bwss.org

Here’s a video made by Davina Ridley after attending BWSS Prevention and Intervention Training Program