200 Volunteers Power Boston's 24/7 Crisis Hotline

When someone in crisis reaches out for help at 3 a.m., a trained volunteer at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center is ready to answer. This lifeline has existed for more than 50 years, and it has never closed.

About 200 volunteers keep BARCC's support services running around the clock. They staff the 24/7 hotline and web chat, respond to hospitals when survivors need advocates, and provide the human connection that makes healing possible.

Each volunteer completes 40 hours of specialized training before they can help. Esteban Guijarro went through that training right after college, motivated by news coverage of sexual violence cases. As a man, he felt especially called to be part of the solution.

"This work really makes you question a lot of things," said Guijarro, who volunteered for five years before joining BARCC full time. "The way in which we think about masculinity and allyship."

At BARCC's Cambridge headquarters, survivors can access individual counseling, support groups, art therapy, legal advocacy, and case management. Every service is free and confidential, with no pressure to take any particular path.

Medical advocacy stands out as one of the most crucial volunteer roles. When someone goes to a Boston area hospital after an assault, a BARCC volunteer will meet them there and stay with them through the forensic exam process if they choose to have one done.

Executive Director Liz Speakman emphasizes that survivors maintain complete control over their experience. "We're not going to push anything," she said. "We're really here to take the lead of the survivor and what feels like it would be most healing for them."

The Ripple Effect

The impact of BARCC's volunteer network extends far beyond individual support calls. By training hundreds of community members to respond with empathy and expertise, the organization is building a more informed, compassionate society that better understands trauma and healing.

Volunteers learn to sit with people in crisis rather than rush to fix everything at once. They practice listening deeply and letting survivors guide their own recovery. These skills ripple outward as volunteers carry this wisdom into their families, workplaces, and communities.

BARCC offers volunteer training three times a year, continuing to grow its network of caring people ready to show up when it matters most.