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---FAMILY SERVICE VOLUNTEER NEWS AND NOTES---
FAMILY SERVICE VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
 Kenneth Jack—Breaking Free Children’s Program Working with at-risk teenagers can be a daunting task to some, but not to Ken Jack, who has been a volunteer for the Breaking Free Children’s Program for the past 10 years. For Ken, working with these youth who have experienced domestic violence in their homes is an opportunity to share his own experiences from his childhood that helps these kids know that they are not alone.
Ken grew up in Aurora, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, and has lived here in Indy for the past 14 years. By day, he works for TMW Systems writing software for the trucking industry. In his spare time, Ken is a tireless educator and advocate in the area of domestic violence. Ken’s mother and sister were both victims of domestic violence, so he is keenly aware of the harm that can be done to families by it. His mother left his father permanently when he was seven, but sadly, his sister was murdered by her husband when Ken was still a child. Although he finds it difficult at times to get the kids to open up about their situations, his experience and openness helps them to understand that the abuse that they’ve seen in their homes is nothing to be embarrassed by.
When asked what inspires him to continue volunteering, Ken replies, “I appreciate the opportunity to be of use to others, and this work won’t be done any time soon. Shelters and programs for battered women and their children didn’t even exist when I was a child, so people are more open about it and are more likely to seek help these days, but domestic violence still shows no signs of being eliminated.”
 Priscila Müller—Breaking Free Children’s Program
When she came to the United States from Canada earlier this year, Priscila Müller decided to volunteer because she wanted to continue her work of providing emotional support to children in need and also to learn about how this work is performed in the United States as compared to Canada and her native Brazil.
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, she worked as a Licensed Clinical Child Psychologist in the areas of play therapy and counseling. Initially, she was concerned that language would be a challenge for her since she is still studying English, but she has found in the six months that she has been volunteering with Breaking Free that she has been successful in connecting with the kids.
Although working with kids who have experienced domestic violence can be a challenge in terms of learning to “expect the unexpected,” for her, the most rewarding thing is being able to provide comfort, care and emotional support to children who need it so much. What inspires her to continue volunteering is the thought that after the kids have gone through the program and have shared their stories with peers that can relate to them, they will hopefully be able to make better choices for their lives.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Parent Mentors: Family Service is looking for caring, experienced parents who can offer guidance and support to parents in our community who may need a little extra help parenting their children.
Mentors visit families in their homes to coach them in parenting skills and appropriate discipline, meal planning and nutrition, and housecleaning and maintenance. Parent mentors should be parents to children who are older (at least school-age) so that they can offer some breadth of experience to other parents.
Click here to let us know you're interested in this or other volunteer opportunities with Family Service!
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