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Good Samaritans Volunteers Helping Victims Program Handbook and Training Guide
Top navigation About This Guide Message From the Director Acknowledgments About the Authors Related Links
Photo: Man and woman looking out of a broken window.

Publication Date: April 2009

minus iconFilling a Void—Origins of the Program
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minus iconVolunteers: Recruiting,
Screening, and Training


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minus iconModule 2: The Victim Experience
minus iconModule 3: Basic Skills for Volunteers
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Planning Your Program

The Planning Process

As you bring together a committee to plan your own Good Samaritans program, ask yourself these questions:

  • Who will we serve? (What population? What kind of crime?)

  • What geographic region can we serve?

  • What kinds of services will we provide?

  • What kinds of volunteers do we need?

  • How will we recruit volunteers?

  • Who will do the criminal background checks?

  • Who will provide training? When and where?

  • How long and for what time periods will volunteers be asked to commit?

  • What are the volunteers' scheduling needs?

  • How will we communicate with and dispatch our volunteers?

  • Are there liability concerns we need to address?

  • Do we need outside funding sources to operate our program?

  • Who will be accountable for financial operations?

  • How will we measure our results?

  • Who will supervise volunteers?

  • What kind of reporting and evaluation procedures and documentation will we needed?

  • How will we show our appreciation for the volunteers' work and recognize them?

  • What kind of credentials should volunteers carry?

  • How will we get publicity about our program?

After you and your partners have answered these questions and recruited your first volunteers, it's time to start training.