Volunteering is a great way to build your resume, receive training in various fields, expose yourself to a diverse group of people, improve professional communication skills, and much more. There are various ways to get involved on and off campus here in BCS. Today, I will discuss a few of these opportunities for psychology majors and minors to take advantage of while studying at TAMU or after you graduate!

 The Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) in Bryan offers two major positions including Administrative Assistant Volunteer and Volunteer Advocates. Those wishing to apply for the Administrative Assistant position will have duties including maintenance of client files, organization of office material and curriculum, making care packages for clients, and scanning documents for storage. Performing these tasks provides vital support to the SARC staff and is the most flexible way to volunteer for the organization. This position requires filling out an application, passing a background check, and participating in an interview. If you are accepted as a volunteer, you will be required to complete confidentiality training. The Volunteer Advocate position provides direct client services through answering the 24-hour hotline in the evenings and on weekends, providing support and resources to survivors via accompaniments at hospitals police departments, and court, and facilitating support groups. Advocates must be at least 18 years of age and will be required to attend approximately 40 hours of an advocate training program and on the job training. The Advocates are the voice of support for survivors in the middle of the night, and without them, SARC would cease to function.

For more information on volunteering for SARC or to fill out the volunteer form, please visit: http://www.sarcbv.org/get-involved/volunteering

Mental Health Mental Retardation (MHMR) of Brazos Valley provides services and support to individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental illness so that they can live in the community independently and with dignity. Volunteers for MHMR offer a variety of volunteer services including: playing games with a person who has intellectual or developmental disability, reading to a group of children while their parents attend a support group, assisting with special events, or using your computer talents to enter data or work on special projects.

To become a volunteer or to learn more about volunteering for MHMR of Brazos Valley, please visit: https://www.mhmrabv.org/get-involved/

Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol & Substance Abuse provides substance abuse prevention, intervention, and services leading to improved health, wellness, and security in the Brazos Valley. Volunteers help in a variety of areas including special events, marketing, public relations, advertising, outreach, clerical work, maintenance, and general administration.

To learn more about this program, please visit: http://bvcasa.org/get-involved/volunteer/

If you are interested in volunteering, contact George Raum via email at Graum@bvcasa.org.

 Voices for Children, CASA of Brazos Valley is a great volunteer opportunity for graduate students that involves working with children in foster care. CASA volunteers are screened and highly trained. They are then appointed by judges to represent and advocate for a child’s best interest in the child protection system. Volunteers focus their time on a single child or set of siblings to provide the most individualized advocacy and attention to the children. You must be 21 years of age or older to become a CASA volunteer. You must also attend an orientation, fill out an application, interview for the position, and complete 33 hours of classroom training.

To learn more or to become a volunteer for CASA of Brazos Valley, please visit: http://vfcbrazos.org/volunteer/

The few volunteer programs mentioned above only scratch the surface of opportunity here in BCS. For a much more exhaustive list including contact information, websites, and organization’s needs, please visit the TAMU Career Center’s Volunteer Opportunities list here: http://opsa.tamu.edu/OPSA/media/library/Volunteer-Opportunities.pdf