Project LINK-Schnarr

I volunteered my time at a place called “Freedom House” in Princeton, Illinois. This establishment aims to help battered women and children by offering them safety, networking, and the skills needed to survive on their own. While their safe houses are confidential, they do have a main office, which includes a church, counseling offices, legal advocates, and play areas for the children. A local alternative to this service is HOPE of East Central Illinois. 

The facility offers numerous kinds of services to the clientele. The service activity stressed the importance of not judging a book by its cover, which is extremely important in today’s society. We are too quick to judge someone based on outward appearance without knowing anything about the individual. The clients have experienced trauma and tragedy all the while still fighting to survive; assume diversity. The average person does not know their story or where they came from; we are unable to fully understand what it is like to live in poverty or be terrified of our dad. The facility is able to provide valuable resources for women and children in danger by abuse or sexual assault. The activity provided me with knowledge to share, when needed, and to have a better ear to listen when someone in trouble. Also, with the legal advocates, it offered information on how to prevent the danger from presenting itself again, information on policies that currently exist, and how the legal world will work in the client’s defense. These individuals are disadvantaged, requiring someone to stand up for their basic rights that have been stripped of them.

The most important information I walked away with was from the survivors. Not only do they have the courage to continue on as if nothing happened, they are great advocates, listeners, and friends. They are the strongest professionals, because they are able to understand the trauma being felt, how to overcome it, and how to move past the difficult past. I also gained the basic knowledge that abuse can happen to anyone, from any walks of life, and the outsider will not have a clue of the battle being internally fought.

The activity can help make the community more aware of the problems facing both women and children. It can encourage people to volunteer their time to help the disadvantaged that the community may not have been previous aware of. It will also information the community of the services available, especially since the organization is not widely known across the county. Everything is confidential, which can ease client needs and worries. The legal help that can be provided is also beneficial to know about, because then the individual knows she is not on her own, but a larger group fighting to help her.

The assignment was very beneficial. It reminded me why volunteering is important. It also reminded me of the struggles people face that the average person does not know about, think about, or ever experience. (Not that the third statement is a problem.) The activity reminded me of how one person can make a difference and how important that concept really is. Volunteering is very humbling and an activity is so many of us simply neglect in today’s fast paced society.