(Posted 2022 February)
Meet Donna Audritsh!
How long have you been volunteering? How long have you held this role in Fairfax County?
I have volunteered all of my adult life. I have been volunteering with DSVS since about 2013.
Why volunteer? Why volunteer for this specific program?
I volunteer because I believe it is part of living in community with others, because I believe in giving back to the communities that sustain and support me and my family, because I believe in the power of one person to make a difference, and because I have been blessed with the ability to do so.
I volunteer with DSVS and specifically with the ADAPT program because I believe that peace in our world — in our nation, our neighborhoods, and our homes — begins within each of us. I believe that we all have the capacity for great love and compassion as well as for the violence that comes from unhealed pain, and that we all have a choice about which parts of our nature we cultivate.
Talk about how you overcome the most challenging parts of volunteering.
I focus on the small, positive steps I see our clients make. I recall the lightness I see in clients at the end of an 18-week session and contrast it to the weight they carry into the group in the early weeks. I listen to their pain and connect with their humanity. I remember times when I was drowning in resentment, unable to know joy, and I experience immense gratitude for my own learning and growth. I learn from each client, each counselor, each volunteer I come in contact with through this program. And when a particular client triggers fear, anger, sadness, or despair, I remind myself that sometimes the only thing we can do is plant a seed and believe that something or someone else will help it to grow.
What’s the best part of volunteering? Share your most memorable experience.
The best part of volunteering is the amazing people I meet along the way. I am humbled by the knowledge and dedication of the DSVS staff.
I have so many memorable experiences — of beautiful letters written by clients to someone they hurt in the past; of clients sharing gratitude for the life-transforming experience we provide; and of clients supporting each other in a group, not only overcoming devastating losses in their own lives, but also encouraging each other to do the same. I remember one young woman who had lost much as a consequence of her actions and circumstances, encouraging another client, who was bemoaning his own losses and still feeling powerless, with these words: “This is not a STOP sign; it’s a speed bump.” I love that. It provides perspective when I am at a loss.
What has been your favorite training? What did you like about it? What did you learn?
One of my favorite trainings was JD’s (James Miller) training on listening because don’t we all need to learn to talk less and listen more? I read somewhere that for many people, feeling heard is indistinguishable from feeling loved; that resonates with me. I believe that we all have what we need inside of us and that sometimes when we think we are lacking something, we need to give it away in order to find it—to put out into the world whatever it is we think we lack. So I know that if I want to be heard, I must learn to listen better.
What advice do you have for people who may be thinking about becoming a DSVS volunteer?
I try very hard not to give advice, but if someone is thinking about becoming a DSVS volunteer, that thought has likely come from within, so I would say, why not answer that call? There is nothing to lose and very much to be gained when we listen to that still voice inside us.
What do you wish you could do more of as a volunteer?
I wish I had more time and more energy to volunteer. Volunteering has always held more meaning for me than my day job. I tried to bring my work skills to my volunteer work, hoping that would help me to integrate these parts of my life and live more authentically. I’m not sure that really worked, but I have seen doors begin to open as I bring what I learn from the staff and clients in ADAPT to my work life. I am so grateful.
This article posting is part of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Services' Volunteer Voices monthly newsletter for current and potential volunteers. If you're not already a volunteer, learn how to get involved. Find out about upcoming trainings, volunteer trainings, happenings around the DSVS office and information about articles, books, media recommendations and more.
Learn more about the Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (DSVS).