Sixteen hours of training is provided to volunteers who help victims of domestic violence, harassment or elder abuse to fill out the complex forms required from any person who wants the court to order an alleged abuser to stay away. The next training will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 30 and Feb. 6, both Saturdays. Volunteers in the temporary restraining order clinic are encouraged to work three hours per week. Volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children who appear in juvenile court for protection must complete 24 hours of training. The next course begins Feb. 27.
Advocates work about four hours per week.
Believe it or not, volunteers are making a difference in virtually every department and endeavor of county government. In 1997, youth and adult volunteers with a rich variety of backgrounds and interests put in 156,543 hours for the county. Potential volunteers can choose among many dozens of categories of work at 72 different places. Look for missing persons as a member of the sheriff's Search and Rescue Team. Provide peer support to seniors grieving over the death of a spouse, or struggling with personal crises such as depression or loneliness.