Called to Answer
Hi, my name is Jennifer, and I am one of the Rescue America Hotline Advocates! As a Hotline Advocate, it is my role to assist the individuals that call in with different resources and to be the hands and feet (and ears!) of Jesus.
I try to treat every call that comes in as more of a conversation than an intake session because I want every individual that calls to feel safe, heard, and loved when speaking with me. I believe that I’m able to give them this attention because of my own personal understanding of where so many of them are coming from––mentally, spiritually, intellectually, and sometimes even physically––but beyond this, communication and empathy are key.
Called to Volunteer:
In May of 2021, after hearing about Rescue America through a woman in my LifeGroup at church, God put it on my heart to utilize my life experiences for His glory.
After weeks of researching and praying, I sent in my application and was met with the need for hotline volunteers. (No doubt, God led.) After my online training was completed, I was ready to start, and I have truly loved every shift I’ve had in the last year!
Called to Answer:
In my first week of shifts, I reached out to my supervisor in regard to a call I had received. Even though Rescue America prepared me to answer the hotline and then hand the survivor off to the staff Exit Strategist, I still had that curiosity to know that the survivor was taken care of and chose to accept our help.
It was an adjustment, but I soon learned how to hand the survivors off to the Exit Strategists, knowing in my heart they were being taken care of and that I had done my part. That’s not to say that I don’t still have those days where I want to follow up on a specific call I have taken, though! There are easy days and there are difficult ones, no matter how long I’ve been doing this.
One of the most bittersweet parts of this experience has been receiving repeat callers that remember me as soon as I answer their call, which seems to bring them relief. I’ve also encountered calls that were highly emotionally charged, and those are the calls that I am able to personally relate to, which reaffirms the fact that God directed me to this specific opportunity. I also had to become accustomed to the inconsistency of the call volume: some days are so quiet I think I haven’t logged in correctly, while other days I am literally filling out intake forms after my shift has ended!
Each call initially increases my heart rate, not knowing what is about to entail from the other end of the line.
There have been individuals in emergency situations, individuals calling in with tips to help, and even phone calls from family members of survivors.
Called to Care:
Maintaining my own self-care routine is so very important. Being on the front lines for these individuals and this organization is very rewarding, however, with anything you are pouring your heart into, you don’t want to reach the point of burnout. That is something I appreciated when I interviewed: Rescue America’s concern for my self-care routine.
This looks different for everyone, of course, but it is a necessity when taking on this role. I thankfully have a great tribe of people surrounding me and my children, as well as Rescue America itself, that routinely check in with words of encouragement!
I also have felt how this experience has truly strengthened my faith and relationship with Jesus.
I read a quote recently from Elizabeth Andrews that says,
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”
That’s really all it takes!
- Jennifer Terry, Rescue America Hotline Advocate
You, too, can join the fight against sex trafficking. Click here to learn more about Rescue America’s volunteer opportunities.
