Answer the Call: Why Your Voice Matters as a CVC Hotline Volunteer

When a survivor of trauma reaches out for help, the voice on the other end of the line can change everything.

At the Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley, our 24/7 crisis hotline is a vital lifeline: a safe, confidential space where survivors are heard, believed, and supported through active trauma. But staying available around the clock takes real resources. It takes a community like ours that's willing to help us keep the lines open and the lights on.

We are actively searching for empathetic, driven community members to join our team of Volunteer Hotline Advocates.

What Does a CVC Volunteer Advocate Do?

Our volunteers are the heartbeat of our immediate response team. When you sign up to answer the hotline, you are stepping up to:

• Provide immediate, trauma-informed crisis intervention and emotional support to callers.

• Offer a compassionate, non-judgmental space for survivors navigating their hardest moments.

• Connect individuals with CVC’s wider web of free resources, including counseling and court advocacy.

But we don't expect you to do this alone. To ensure you feel completely confident, secure, and prepared to handle crisis calls, every single CVC volunteer undergoes 40 hours of rigorous sexual assault counselor training facilitated directly by our staff.

Through this specialized training program, you will develop the specialized clinical awareness, boundaries, and advocacy tools needed to effectively support survivors in their time of need. You will graduate from the program not just as a volunteer, but as a highly trained advocate ready to make a tangible regional impact.

Interested in joining the movement? Please contact Sara Ullmer, Volunteer Supervisor at sullmer@cvclv.org to make a difference in our community today!

Please note that volunteers must be over the age of 18 and reside in the Lehigh Valley area.