City of Bloomington offers numerous volunteer opportunities for students

It's 3:55 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and Julie Thomas should be sleeping. \nInstead, the visiting lecturer joins Bloomington Police Department investigators at the home of a domestic abuse victim, offering solace and comfort. \nThomas is part of the Onscene Advocate Program, an organization in which perpetually on-call volunteers assist the IU and Bloomington police departments in rape and domestic crisis counseling. Established under the umbrella of Bloomington's Middle Way House, services run the gamut from manning a 24-hour rape hotline to meeting victims at the hospital or in their homes. \n"These women are in dire need of assistance, and many incidents go unreported because of cultural stigma," said Thomas, a doctoral candidate in gender studies.\nNeither this program nor the numerous others that Middle Way sponsors, ranging from legal advocacy activities to transitional housing and womens' activities, could be efficient without manpower, said Amy Woods, Crisis Intervention Services Coordinator. IU students and professors account for nearly 70 percent of volunteer service, said Woods.\nIn fact, it's an experience that convinced fifth-year senior anthropology/religious studies major Charity Haines to pursue an additional degree in non-profit management.\nHaines, who began serving Middle Way House as a volunteer nearly two years ago, cites her personal interaction with rape victims as "hard on (my) emotions," but also notes the personal recompense stemming from helping women reclaim their dignity.\nBut Middle Way House is not the only organization to which students can donate their time. Many other programs exist throughout Bloomington offering several similar opportunities.