Nick McMillen has become a better person by being a counselor for the Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center, or at least his wife thinks so.
McMillen, who is one of the 12 counselors currently at the center, said his time volunteering has made a positive impact on his life.
“I’ve taken all of the information, and I’ve applied it to my job and everything in my life,” he said.
“How we operate on the phone has helped me with my relationship with my wife and my daughter.”
The center, located at 218 SE 24th St., is currently looking for more counselors like McMillen because it’s experiencing a shortage with students leaving for the summer, said Jessie Lazarchik, the sexual assault program manager.
Lazarchik said more than counseling experience, the center is looking for people who won’t judge those who call in.
“I look for people who have some level of passion for survivors of sexual violence,” she said. “I want to see that people are really invested in the cause.”
The hiring process for the center starts with potential counselors filling out an application on the center’s website. Then members at the center will schedule a one-on-one meeting with the applicant to see if their views align with the center’s.
If chosen, the applicant goes through a free nine-week course and level-two background check before they can begin volunteering.
“We will take one (volunteer), we’ll take 10,” Lazarchik said. “Whoever is able and willing to help.”
McMillen said when he first learned about the program, he jumped into the deep end.
“People in my life, in the past, have been victims of the assault,” he said. “I know that when these situations came up, I didn’t know what to do.”
Since he first started working for the center, McMillen said he feels like there’s a whole new world of information.
He said counselors often help callers by providing them with an understanding person to talk to and provide options for their situations.
“If they’re in a position of crisis, we get them into a place where they’re in a good mindset,” he said. “We then see where they want to go from there.”
McMillen said he plans to continue volunteering in the future.
“I think being able to feel that you have something to offer people that are in a really, really low point in their life is rewarding,” he said.
