Welcome to the 2025 August issue of Volunteer Voices, a monthly newsletter for current and potential Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS) volunteers.
In this Issue:
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After starting in my role in April, I have had an amazing summer working in our Volunteer Program! This summer, we completed our first volunteer recruitment cycle after a break from DSVS volunteer recruitment–and we have successfully recruited new Hotline, HASA, and ADAPT volunteers! We are so happy to be building our team again. Thanks to all our longstanding volunteers and welcome to all of our new teammates! Going through this recruitment cycle has shown me how dedicated our volunteers are in learning new skills and bringing their own unique expertise to their role. I also thoroughly enjoyed working with my colleagues to ensure new volunteers are supported in starting their role. I am so thankful to DSVS staff for showing me the ropes and for creating a culture where people so clearly love working with our volunteers.
The most fun part of this summer for me has been meeting many of you. I was able to spend a lot of time with new volunteers through the recruitment process, but our well-established volunteers also have welcomed me with open arms! So many of you scheduled meetings with me or joined us at meetings and events. Many of you also gave me wonderful insight into your volunteer experience, why you have found fulfillment in your role, and how you would like to see DSVS Volunteering grow and change in the future. Your willingness to share your knowledge has been invaluable in settling into my role and learning how I can support each of you going forward.
Finally, I was able to meet many of you in person at our Summer Volunteer Appreciation celebration! We had an amazing time enjoying snacks, playing games, and getting to know each other. We are so lucky to host and be a part of these events, where we can make connections and celebrate all you’ve done this year. Thanks to all who joined us–and I hope to see many of you at our next celebration in the winter!
Wishing each and every one of you a great finish to your summer.
Caroline Croghan
Volunteer Manager
School bells are beginning to ring, so it's essential for parents to prioritize self-care amidst the flurry of activities necessary for getting their students (and themselves) ready for study schedules, after-school clubs, and fall sports leagues. Here are eight effective strategies to help you manage stress and maintain your well-being during this busy time.
This month, students of all ages will head back to school for the new year, including college students starting a new adventure and returning to campus.
College campuses are places of expression, support, and growth. Unfortunately, some of the most common crimes on campuses across the country are rape and other sexual offenses (USA Today).
How can students support each other to create a safe, healthy, and happy environment on their campus? Visit RAINN’s website to learn more about bystander intervention and how people can step in to support each other and prevent sexual assault. You can also watch this video from UN Women to see some examples on how bystanders might intervene.
Starting at a new university, returning to campus after a summer at home, or returning to campus after a summer abroad can be a difficult adjustment for any student–especially those that may have experienced sexual assault since they were last on campus. Watch Returning Home, a video from RAINN that focuses primarily on students who return from study abroad, but also might be helpful for any students finding re-integration into campus life challenging following a sexual assault.
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“You don’t choose the day you enter the world and you don’t choose the day you leave. It’s what you do in between that makes all the difference.” -–Anita Septimus
George Mason University and Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Join Forces to Support Students George Mason University’s Student Support and Advocacy Center has existed since 2012. It sometimes had a different name—it started as Waves, but its mission has remained the same: assisting students encountering life crises or barriers to their success. One way the center supports students is through violence reduction and education, which is how it intersects with Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. Volunteer Voices recently sat down with several SSAC staff to talk about the center’s mission and its collaboration with DSVS. Learn more about this collaboration.
Each newsletter will include this section to help share reviews, spotlight the people who support Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, recognize birthdays and list upcoming trainings and meetings.
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services’ podcast, Unscripted: Conversations about Sexual and Domestic Violence, is real talk on tough topics! Stay in the know with these biweekly discussions. If you have ideas for topics you’d like to hear addressed on Unscripted, email them to DSVS’ communications specialist Kendra Lee.
"A day in my life as the Hospital Accompaniment Program Specialist starts a bit later than that of my Domestic and Sexual Violence Services colleagues,” says Kendal Cristaudo, who began her career with DSVS as a volunteer before transitioning to the full-time Hospital Accompaniment Program Specialist. Her days may start later but they are no less busy. “I begin my day at 1:30 pm at the Inova FACT Department’s Dunn Loring clinic, typically with my lunch in hand. While eating lunch, I check my emails and debrief with the FACT nurses about the previous day’s appointments or upcoming ones,” she says.
“My afternoons are typically spent preparing for presentations within the medical community or managing tasks related to the Hospital Accompaniment Support Advocates (HASA), such as creating the monthly HASA calendars and coordinating hospital accompaniment requests. Around 7 p.m., the FACT night nurse and I drive to the Inova Fairfax Hospital, where I end my day at 10 p.m. I close out by creating my to-do list for the next day.”
Sex Trafficking in America
Volunteering decreases the likelihood of high blood pressure development by 40%.* (*WebMD)
New Hotline volunteer Joann Sazama takes a turn spinning the DSVS Power & Control Wheel at the Summer Volunteer Appreciation Picnic while Hospital Accompaniment Specialist Kendal Cristaudo watches.