(Posted 2023 June)
Meet Willmara Moye, Hotline Volunteer
Tell us a little about yourself. What is your professional background? I am currently a graduate student at George Mason University pursuing my master’s in clinical mental health counseling. I’ve always had a passion for mental health and wanted to help others, especially minority communities. I work as a behavior therapist in Springfield and as a learning coach at George Mason.
What are some of your hobbies and interests? I’m really a big music lover. I love singing and dancing in my free time and have loved doing it since I was a child. If I’m not singing, dancing, or listening to music, I also enjoy a good read. I’m secretly a big bookworm and would spend hours reading if I could! When I have the time to do so, I also like going to the gym and getting in a good workout.
How long have you been volunteering? What led to your initial desire to volunteer and serve others? I’ve been volunteering ever since I was a preteen. My mom was very big on helping around the church and got me involved with volunteering at our church’s food pantry. I did that as well as volunteered as a bible school teacher's assistant throughout high school. When I got to college, I didn’t volunteer as much, but I decided after I graduated it was time to get back into volunteering. I began searching online for volunteer opportunities in the area and came across Fairfax County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Services hotline counselor. I thought this was perfect since I could serve the community through counseling, which was something I am passionate about.
What interested you in volunteering with Fairfax County’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Services? I really wanted to find a way to just get back into helping the community after taking a break throughout undergrad. I also wanted to get involved with a volunteer experience that I could really become passionate about as well as benefit from when it came to developing skills and experience that could be useful while I pursued a career in counseling.
What is the most challenging part of volunteering? How did you overcome this challenge? I would say the biggest challenge of volunteering for the Hotline is just being able to help callers to the best of your ability. Sometimes it may feel like you’re not able to give them the best support they need at the moment. All you can do is point them in the right direction, give them the available resources you have, and just be supportive and reassuring of what they are going through at the time.
What’s the best part of volunteering? Share your most memorable experience. I would say the best part of volunteering is really just being able to have callers feel relieved after calling and getting some type of assistance or support. A lot of callers tend to call in the midst of a stressful situation. Being able to provide resources and support is one thing, but callers are also very appreciative of us just providing empathy and being a good listener. It feels good knowing I was able to make someone feel like their situation could get help and de-escalate.
What has been your favorite training? What did you like about it? What did you learn? My initial training for when I had to start preparing to be a Hotline volunteer was the most valuable training. Even though there was a lot of information to learn, it was very valuable and helpful, as I was able to see after I started. Also, being able to do role plays was helpful.
What are your three greatest strengths? How have you been able to display and use these strengths when serving others? I would say my three greatest strengths are being a problem solver, being an effective listener and communicator, and being able to provide validation. As a volunteer Hotline counselor, it’s very important to be empathetic, provide validation, and have good communication skills, but also be able to handle crisis situations. Some calls make me nervous because the caller might be in the midst of a stressful situation. It’s also beneficial to stay calm so you're better able to help the caller, which is something I really had to work on.
What advice do you have for people who may be thinking about becoming a DSVS volunteer? Do it! I think volunteering for DSVS is such a unique experience when it comes to volunteering. The training really prepares you to be a Hotline counselor and handle crisis calls. If you’re looking for a different type of volunteer experience that involves a lot of communication and support, this is the right volunteer experience for you. What do you wish you could do more of as a volunteer? I wish I could get more involved with doing trauma counseling. I am a current graduate school student pursuing my master’s in counseling and feel like I would really value diving deeper into counseling this population. Being a volunteer has already helped me develop skills and made me develop an interest in wanting to do more to help this population when it comes to pursuing a career in counseling.
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).