Volunteering with SAHELI: An overview

SAHELI is proud to have a predominantly volunteer-based organization. Volunteers help us accomplish our mission by allowing SAHELI to expand its services to more clients in the Austin Asian community. If you're interested in volunteering, join us at our next Volunteer Orientation. To register or find out more information, contact Vinnie Luu at 512.356.1565 or vluu@saheli-austin.org

For more details on volunteer descriptions please visit the position descriptions page.

SAHELI also provides various training sessions to educate and train our volunteers.
To register for any of these FREE training sessions, contact vluu@saheli-austin.org.

Aug. 19th, 6:30pm-8pm, Monthly training series: Housing
This workshop will introduce participants to federal and state laws addressing the housing rights of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, and provide tips and strategies for screening and interviewing clients for housing and domestic violence related issues.

Aug. 21st, 6pm-8pm, Direct services/Community Education training
The Direct Services training is an hour training on how to work with client one-on-one and in group settings, various issues that might come up while working with clients, and anything related to direct services. (Advocates, interpreters/translators, help line work)
Community Education training is an hour training on how to work with the community, informing them of what SAHELI does, issues that might come up like a victim disclosing in public, and anything related to community work. (Boothing, community speakers, various events)

September, 10am-12:30pm, 8 class series of Interpreter Trainings
2nd, 4th, 9th, 6:00PM-9:00PM, Ruiz Library
11th, 16th, 18th, 6:00PM-9:00PM, Safeplace Community Room
20th, 27th, 1:00PM-4:00PM, Safeplace Community Room
In order to better meet the needs of our clients, SAHELI for Asian Families is offering free social services interpreter training for individuals fluent in English and one other Asian language. This 24-hour training teaches basic interpreting skills and the ethical behavior required of interpreters providing services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. You will need a language partner to practice in class. Talk to your friends or family members and see if they would like to take the class with you. In lieu of tuition for the training, SAHELI requests that participants volunteer their interpretation services to SAHELI for at least 15 hours.

Sep. 20th, 10am-12:30pm, Volunteer Orientation
This training is an introduction into the workings of SAHELI. This is the first step in volunteering with SAHELI and will give a foundation to helping SAHELI expand its services to more clients in the Austin Asian community.

Sep. 23th, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Monthly Training - Advocacy and Social Change
What exactly is social change? How is it different from service delivery? Is it important? How can I be a social change agent? This experiential workshop will help participants identify the characteristics of social change and explore the many and varied ways they can become agents for change in the struggle for peace.

Oct. 21st, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Monthly Training - Disability Services
What exactly is social change? How is it different from service delivery? Is it important? How can I be a social change agent? This experiential workshop will help participants identify the characteristics of social change and explore the many and varied ways they can become agents for change in the struggle for peace.

Nov. 8th, 10am-2:45pm, [COMBINED] Volunteer Orientation/Direct Services/Community Education training
Although 3 trainings take place in one day, you may attend whichever training you are interested in.
10:00am - 12:30pm, Volunteer Orientation
1:00pm - 1:45pm, Direct Services training
2:00pm - 2:45pm, Community Education training

Nov. 18th, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Monthly Training - "In Her shoes exercise"
This exercise will help our volunteer to understand the ups and downs a battered woman experiences over the course of many years. The scenarios in In Her Shoes are based on true stories and they reflect the complex and dynamic nature of domestic violence, while also calling out the more specific barriers that battered women face.