Volunteer Spotlight: Karen Deardeuff
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 dedicated volunteer, Karen Deardeuff.
April 1, 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 Karen Deardeuff, one of our Administrative Department volunteers.
Karen has been extremely dedicated to the RRC for several years and has volunteered in multiple departments. Currently, she is assisting our direct service providers in revamping our filing system and other administrative projects. Karen, we thank you for all your work and dedication to the Rape Recovery Center and the survivors in our community.
What motivated you to become a volunteer at the Rape Recovery Center?
Sexual assault is something that has affected me personally. Volunteering with the RRC has provided me with a great deal of healing and an avenue to make a little difference in the lives of other survivors.
What have you enjoyed most about your time as an RRC volunteer?
The training I have received as a volunteer has been invaluable in allowing me to better support survivors that I encounter outside of my work with the RRC. I have also been amazed by the other RRC volunteers and staff I interact with every time I am at the center.
What is most challenging about your volunteer work at the RRC?
Seeing and hearing the pain people have to ensure and seeing how that is then compounded by widespread misunderstanding and misinformation about the realities of sexual violence is always difficult.
Tell us a little more about how you spend your time outside volunteering for the RRC - hobbies, passions, work, school?
I love to read, go camping, and scuba dive!
You have immersed yourself in the difficult work of addressing sexual violence. What gives you hope as you approach this work?
Seeing the difference, the RRC makes in the lives of survivors always gives me hope. It is also incredible to witness how people survive awful experiences and still show kindness, have hope, and experience joy.
How do you use your voice to support survivors of sexual violence?
I try to use my training, experience, and knowledge about sexual violence to educate people I come in contact with, especially about misconceptions and misunderstandings about victims and perpetrators.
What is your message to others looking to get involved in this work or considering volunteer work at the RRC?
There are so many ways to help at the RRC! If you are hesitant about working directly with survivors, there are other options. If you are willing and able to work directly with survivors, know that the work is difficult and rewarding. Be prepared to gain a new sense of empathy and understanding.