Volunteer Spotlight

Choices, by Jennie

When a woman finds herself in an abusive relationship, her first instinct may be to think that she is weak or that she did something wrong. The minute she realizes that what has happened is not her fault is the moment she can regain her self worth, self-esteem, dignity and all else that was stolen from her. The first reach for help may be through SAHELI, and it may take several tries before she is ready for any help. Or they may confide in a friend and seek help in that manner. Whichever way help is found, that woman has now begun her journey towards making her own choices.

Whether you as an individual are helping as a volunteer, or making donations, or simply being aware of what SAHELI is and the services they offer, it would mean a step towards one woman being empowered and being able to make her own decisions. As a volunteer, you may interact with these women and learn that they are not so different from you. You could help these survivors by devoting your time as an advocate so to show that at least one person does care and is here to listen and help. The key to remember is that each person ultimately makes the choice on what they want to do, but sometimes it takes the help of another person to get to that decision. If giving your time is not something you can currently provide, then perhaps a donation of any amount would help. Donations are used for various things such as helping to cover basic needs costs. There are many ways to help SAHELI clients make their own decisions to the road of new beginnings, and each supporter of SAHELI is helping to ensure that these options and choices can be made by a survivor.

Interview of Jennie:

1. How long have you been a volunteer with SAHELI? Since Fall 2008, and I found out about SAHELI and volunteering with them through one of SAHELI's interns at the time.

2. What is it that keeps you wanting to volunteer with our agency? Raising awareness around domestic violence within Asian communities is important to me, and helping women understand that it is not their fault and that there is help out there keeps me motivated.

3. What are some other things you are involved with in your community? I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and United Way. I am also a part of AAEN, the Asian American Employee Network.

4. What is your favorite thing about Austin? I have been living here for the past 12 years, and what I continue to love about this city is the blending of the outdoors type of lifestyle with that of city life. I absolutely love how friendly people in Austin are and that's the one reason why I've made Austin my permanent home.