Volunteer Spotlight: Erin Gough
Erin Gough, Admin Volunteer
The Rape Recovery Center volunteer team consists of nearly 150 incredible individuals who give their time, talents, and passion to furthering our mission of serving survivors and educating the community about sexual violence. This month we are spotlighting our talented administrative volunteer, Erin Gough!
Erin was been volunteering with our administrative department for almost a year and has brought a lot of support through reviewing our guidebooks and creating our volunteer newsletter that provides volunteering opportunities, self care tips, and fun events across the Salt Lake valley. Always open for challenges which arise through the administrative department. We are so happy to have Erin as a volunteer!
What motivated you to become a volunteer at the Rape Recovery Center?
Salt Lake City is the first place I’ve stayed in for more than a year since graduating, so I wanted to take the chance to get involved with the community. The work the RRC does is something I’ve always been interested in, so it was one of my tops picks when I browsing, and it was very responsive and welcoming.
What have you enjoyed most about your time as an RRC volunteer?
The people! I work with staff and other volunteers, and the amount of warmth and hope I feel whenever I’m there leaves me wanting to come back.
What is most challenging about your volunteer work at the RRC?
I work on the volunteer newsletter, so the hardest thing about my work so far is trying to actually connect with volunteers through the emails.
Tell us a little more about how you spend your time outside of volunteering for the RRC - hobbies, passions, work, school?
I work as a technical writer for a legal software company, but my real passion is academic and creative writing. I’ve applied for PhDs focusing on literary criticism, but no luck so far. I also love hiking and visiting national parks, which is why I moved to Utah!
You have immersed yourself in the very difficult work of addressing sexual violence. What gives you hope as you approach this work?
The people at the RRC and the center itself, with the art on the walls, are in themselves a great reminder to continue to have and create hope.
What is your message to others looking to get involved in this work, or considering volunteer work at the RRC?
Do it! I think the hardest part about volunteering is the beginning, when you don’t know what to expect. But from the very beginning the RRC has always made me feel welcomed and comfortable.