2018 Volunteer of the Year: Bobbi Gordon
Each year, the Rape Recovery Center selects one volunteer from our team of over 100 incredible individuals to honor at our annual Hope and Healing Gala. On June 8, 2018 Bobbi Gordon will receive the 2018 Volunteer of the Year award, and we could not think of a more deserving individual. In just over a year, Bobbi has given nearly 250 hours of service to our agency across multiple programs. Whether she is answering our 24 hour crisis line, responding to the hospital to be with a survivor during their rape kit exam, or tabling at community events Bobbi's passion and compassion always shine through.
We asked Bobbi what inspired her to volunteer at the center. She shared, "In November 2016 I decided I didn't like where our culture and community had ended up. I realized I needed to become more involved with my community and local causes. I wanted to find a way to work with people I knew would be most greatly impacted in the upcoming years and the Rape Recovery Center was one of the first organizations I thought of."
Bobbi describes herself as "a hard core animal lover and a bit of a hippy." She has worked in Animal Care since the age of 14 and one day plans to have a little house on a big lot with her own pet pigs, goats, chickens and a garden. Bobbi is also passionate about conservation and works hard to minimize her impact on the environment. Bobbi says, "My favorite place to be is home with my critters, family, and friends."
When asked to share about her time volunteering for the Rape Recovery Center, Bobbi said "When I went to the first day of the 40 hour training I was terrified that I would not be able to do this. As the training progressed I felt more comfortable but knew I'd definitely never be able to do Hospital Response Team! When the HRT training came up I was still positive I couldn't do it but I'd made it this far and really wanted to go where the greatest need was so I jumped in and I can't imagine going back. I have learned that I am stronger than I realized, as are the survivors that I work with. Sometimes I'm with a client just for 2 hours, sometimes for 7 hours, but I always know that for that time I made sure they didn't feel alone, they felt heard, believed, and supported."
On behalf of all of us at the Rape Recovery Center, we thank Bobbi for her service and commitment to survivors. Join us at the Hope and Healing Gala on June 8th as we thank Bobbi and raise funds to support the critical services of the center.