Volunteer Spotlight: Randi Peery
Randi Peery, E & O Volunteer
February 4, 2021
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 Randi Peery from the Education and Outreach Department.
Randi has been incredible and is a compassionate advocate for the RRC and survivors. We thank you for all your work and dedidcation.
What motivated you to become a volunteer at the Rape Recovery Center?
I volunteered with the Montgomery County Women’s Center in Philadelphia when I lived there, helping to run their Domestic Violence Crisis Line as well as their Safe House. When I moved back to Utah, I wanted to get involved in a similar community organization and found the RRC.
What have you enjoyed most about your time as an RRC volunteer?
I love that there isn’t just ONE way to give time to the RRC. There is so much work to be done and many ways to contribute each person’s unique skills or availability.
What is most challenging about your volunteer work at the RRC?
Finding a balance between giving too much and taking care of your mental health can be a challenge. The work the RRC is doing is SO important but it’s sometimes important to say “no, I can’t give any more of myself right now” and honor yourself in that way.
Tell us a little more about how you spend your time outside of volunteering for the RRC - hobbies, passions, work, school?
My partner and I just bought a historic house near Trolley Square last summer, so we’ve spent a lot of time working on repairs and restoration. The first thing we did was to turn the entire backyard into a victory garden so we can grow all of our vegetables and herbs. I’m a passionate home cook. I say that feeding people is my love language so I can’t wait to harvest from my garden and use those fresh ingredients in new recipes. My partner isn’t from Utah, we also spend as much time as we can exploring all the beautiful outdoor spaces we have nearby and hiking in the mountains.
You have immersed yourself in the difficult work of addressing sexual violence. What gives you hope as you approach this work?
Intersectionality isn’t an obscure concept, it is the standard when talking about restorative justice. Younger and younger people are becoming aware earlier of social justice work and striving to make the world a better place for EVERYONE and dismantling systems of oppression. It’s not something you see on the outside of the conversation, it IS the conversation.
What is your message to others looking to get involved in this work, or considering volunteer work at the RRC?
It can seem intimidating at first, to confront something so harmful that is so prolific in our society. It’s easy to shy away from shining a light on how sexual violence has impacted every corner of our society including your own life. But the work is incredibly important and there are so many ways to help. Just taking the 40-hour course to become qualified was SO impactful on me that I would recommend it to everyone.