Every month, Sarah’s Inn nominates a volunteer to be our Volunteer of The Month. Saher Abukatab was nominated as June’s Volunteer of The Month. Saher joined the Sarah’s Inn team in November 2020. Our Volunteer and In-Kind Coordinator, Mariam, asked Saher about her experiences as a volunteer.


  1. How long have you been volunteering with us, and how did you hear about Sarah’s Inn?


“I have been volunteering with Sarah’s Inn since November of 2020. I heard about the agency through VolunteerMatch. After visiting the website and learning about the agency, I decided to complete a volunteer application.” 


  1. What have you enjoyed about volunteering with Sarah’s Inn?


“I have enjoyed working on the crisis line. The great thing about it is that this volunteering opportunity is done remotely which makes it easier for me to fit this into my life. I work two jobs and with my schedule, it has been hard to find time juggling work and my personal life so having a volunteering opportunity around my schedule has been very helpful.”


  1. Every month, you take on multiple crisis line shifts. How do you find ways to fit volunteering into your schedule?


“Volunteering is something that I am very passionate about. As I had previously mentioned, the remote option has made it easier to fit volunteering into my schedule. I feel like volunteering is something that I try to fit into my life; it is something I feel like I need to do.”


  1. What made you want to volunteer at a Domestic Violence Agency?

“During my training with Sarah’s Inn, we watched a video about the silence of domestic violence. A person can be put together and you would never know that they are experiencing domestic violence - it could happen to anyone we know. When COVID hit, it felt like there was a sense of urgency to help. I had more time in my schedule and felt I needed to get involved during that time. I also think people who have that previous experience (domestic violence) should get involved - it is part of the healing process.”




  1. Some people may find it difficult to balance working, volunteering, and their personal lives. Why do you think it is important for folks to find the time to volunteer?


“I think it is important to give back to your community. There is still so much stigma with talking about domestic violence and the repetitiveness of it. It takes a person seven times before they leave their abusive partner. 


People don’t understand that it is not black and white - there are all these feelings that you go through. Volunteering helps to hear about someone’s story - education is important in this and being open to learning about how unique this is and everyone is on their own timeline. They need your support continuously. You don’t know the impact you will have on one person or family.”


  1. Why should people volunteer at Sarah’s Inn?


“Everyone has been so supportive. You all (Sarah’s Inn) have a very supportive community. The Volunteer and In-Kind Coordinator reaches out to us to make sure we are heard and have the right resources. I called her during her on-call (crisis line support staff) shift late one night and she made sure I was supported with my crisis line call. I think very highly of the staff that work there.” 



Thank you Saher for volunteering with Sarah’s Inn. If you are interested in volunteering, the best way to get involved is by emailing volunteering@sarahsinn.org, where you will be able to learn more about volunteering opportunities that are available to you.