Volunteer

Volunteers are a very important part of our program. We are currently seeking passionate folx to help people affected by domestic violence in various volunteer roles. Check out some of our volunteer opportunities below: 

  • Supporting survivors on the 24/7 helpline
  • Tabling and outreach at community events
  • Organizing & cleaning spaces
  • Cooking meals at shelter
  • Moving & transporting furniture
  • Event planning & promotion
  • Governing Board or Committee Work

**We require background checks of all of our volunteers and interns.

Sign up for an upcoming Volunteer Open House & Orientation Session:

September 19th, 5:30-7pm, Bangor

September 26th, 1-2:30pm, Zoom

Sign Up To Volunteer

 

Helpline Volunteer

As a helpline volunteer, you’ll provide our core service—answering calls that come in to our 24-hour crisis helpline. No matter when someone calls, a helpline worker is there, ready to listen and to offer support and information about domestic abuse, safety planning, and our other services. Although it’s not easy, answering the helpline is one of the most rewarding jobs at Partners for Peace. You are the first contact someone affected by abuse has with our organization and often the first voice someone hears as they reach out for help. To provide helpline volunteers with the support, information, and practice they need, we require you to complete a mandatory training. This is a time commitment of about 45+ hours over eight weeks.

Outreach Volunteer

At various times throughout the year (especially in October for Domestic Violence Action Month), we need people willing to help with special events or projects, distributing outreach materials and representing Partners for Peace in the community. This type of volunteering requires a 1.5 hour Ambassadors Training provided by Partners for Peace.

Organizer/Cleaner/Mover Volunteer

We are currently looking for volunteers who would like to help out with our office work, cleaning office and shelter spaces, and organizing donations. We often have a need for volunteers with trucks and the ability to transport furniture and large items help survivors of domestic violence move in and out of shelter and into permanent housing. We also sometimes need help transporting furniture donations to storage or to the homes of survivors. The amount of time required for this job is negotiable, so please contact us if you are interested.

Board Member or Committee Work

Partners for Peace is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of passionate community members who volunteer their time to provide organizational and financial oversight and serve as ambassadors for the organization. We are always looking for dedicated folks to serve on our Governing Board. This committee acts as our organizational board of directors, responsible for overall policy and direction of the organization. We also have several standing committees at our organization including a Finance Committee and Development & Engagement Committee. Volunteers can be invited to join these committees at Board or community members.

If you have any questions, please email our Executive Director, Amanda Cost, at acost@partnersforpeaceme.org.

 

Internship Opportunities

Are you interested in working directly with people affected by abuse? How about learning about the court system? Helping with nonprofit public relations? We work with area universities and colleges to provide internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate level students.

Request An Internship

Helpline Internship

  • Includes answering calls that come in to our 24-hour helpline. No matter when someone calls, a helpline worker is there, ready to listen and to offer support and information about domestic abuse, safety planning, and our other services.
  • Prerequisite: Mandatory 45-hour core advocacy training prior to internship.
  • Must be able to devote approximately 8 hours a week to the internship.
  • Potential fall semester interns must apply by May 30. Potential spring semester interns must apply by September 30. Potential summer semester interns need apply by January 30.

Transitional Housing (TH) Internship

  • Tasks may include, but are not limited to: assisting in maintaining the Community Center, helping with monthly Community Meeting, assisting with case management, and taking hotline shifts.
  • Prerequisite: 45-hour core advocacy training, which can be completed during the internship.
  • Must be able to devote approximately 10 hours per week to the internship.
  • Internship typically begins in the fall semester and ends in the spring. Please note that we need a two-semester commitment, regardless of the start time. Potential interns must apply by May 30 for the start of a fall internship.

 Shelter Internship

  • Tasks may include, but are not limited to: accepting, organizing, and distributing community donations; helping to coordinate shelter maintenance; and assisting with children’s groups.
  • Prerequisite: Attendance at the first two sessions of our 45-hour core advocacy training and may require kid worker training.
  • Must devote approximately 10 hours a week to the internship.
  • Potential fall semester interns must apply by May 30. Potential spring semester interns must apply by Sept. 30. Potential summer semester interns need apply by Jan. 30.

Social Media and Outreach Internship

  • Tasks include assisting with our annual Library Campaign and other Domestic Violence Awareness Month activities. Other tasks may include, but are not limited to: assisting with the fall newsletter and/or appeal, assisting with planning for the annual meeting, assisting with website and materials maintenance, or doing community outreach. May also complete helpline training and do helpline shifts if desired.
  • Prerequisite: This internship requires attending at least the first 2-3 sessions of our 40-hour hotline training.
  • Must be able to devote approximately 8 hours a week to the internship.
  • Potential interns must apply by May 30.

Legal Program Internships

  • Tasks include court monitoring and court outreach, in-office legal advocacy, and information gathering (including gathering and cross referencing data from police reports and Violence Intervention Program reports).
  • Prerequisite: 45-hour core advocacy training. One-semester interns must complete the training prior to beginning the internship; two-semester interns may complete the training during the first semester of the internship.
  • Must be able to devote approximately 8 hours a week to the internship.
  • Potential fall semester interns must apply by May 30. Potential spring semester interns must apply by Sept. 30. Potential summer semester interns need apply by Jan. 30.

Work Study

We offer off-campus work-study opportunities available through the University of Maine system and Husson University. Work-study students can help out in any of the volunteer and intern roles listed above and use their work study as long as we have the funding available.

Request Work Study