What Experience Do You Feel You Bring To The Table?

 Went on an interview yesterday. 

Not for a paying job, but as a volunteer.

I've been trying to figure out where my spare time (such as it is) could make the biggest difference, and I think I found it.

I interviewed at the East Texas Crisis Center. 

This was after my initial application and background check.

Sitting across from the Volunteer Coordinator's desk, she asked me about myself and why I thought this would be a good fit for me. 

Trying not to notice that she's less than half my age, I said I bring decades of experience in all sorts of things that would make me a valuable volunteer.

I told her I bring personal empathy for the clients, having been sexually assaulted at 15 and then surviving not one, but two abusive marriages. The first one was "only" verbal abuse (although he did hold a loaded gun to my head that one time) and the second one was a doozy of physical abuse. He's the reason my mail has come to a PO Box 30+ miles from my house...he told me if he ever found me, he'd kill me. He's dead now, so I'm probably safe. 

I told her I worked in Animal Emergency Clinics for over 40 years total, dealing with clients in every level of distress, anger, denial, and breakdown.

I told her my final husband (the good one) had spent decades in hospitals and I'd learned how to communicate with medical people, how to get them to actually communicate to us, and how to explain things to a terrified patient.

I told her that because my Air BnB's are now my main source of income, I'm not available to volunteer mornings because I'm taking care of the farm and guesthouses. 

She said, "Let me tell you about our volunteer opportunities."

They need people to work in their thrift store/fundraiser. Meh.

They need people to help the employees up at the front desk. Meh.

They need people to help sort donations. Meh.

They need people to be volunteer case workers, but that requires large chunks of in-office times. Prolly a no. 

She thought for a moment, then said, "Wait. There's one thing we need people for, but no one wants to do it, and the one woman we have would LOVE to not be the only one, because she can't handle it all. I think with your experiences, it would be a good fit, if you are willing."

Hospital Intake Volunteer.

-be on-call

-go in through the ER with women who present for abuse

-stay with them, help them talk to the medical people and the police

-make sure the police contact CPS if there are children at home so closest relatives can be contacted

-mainly just sit with them till they are admitted or discharged, at which point one of the professional case workers will take over. Because they are usually all alone. 

Ya'll. 

This is the shit I was made for. The shit Life banged me around for. 

I've never been so sure that I could do something in my entire life. 

I told her absolutely YES. And while the current volunteer does just the Tyler hospitals, I can also do the Athens hospital. That I don't see for shit after dark to drive, but I can make it to any of those three ER's wearing a fucking blindfold at any time of the day or night.

Training is next month. 

I'm ready.