The Family Crisis Center will hold a Volunteer Training soon at the administrative office located at 2008 11th Street in Great Bend. Volunteer training consists of 24 classroom training hours, 12 on-the-job training hours, and four additional hours of training through videos, books and other sources.

The Volunteer Training will cover information about domestic and sexual violence, systems that also work with survivors as well as all of the services provided by the Family Crisis Center. Training dates are as follows: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Monday, April 11; 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12; 5:30-9:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 13; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 16; and 5:30-9:30 p.m. Monday, April 18. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer must complete an application and the Volunteer Training Course. The Family Crisis Center provides services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Barber, Barton, Comanche, Edwards, Kiowa, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush, and Stafford counties. "We have a total of 11 advocates to cover 10 counties 24-hours a day. We need volunteers to help meet the needs of survivors," said Laura Patzner, executive director. "Our volunteers make a difference in many ways. We couldn’t do this work without them."

The Family Crisis Center Inc. is a private non-profit agency providing advocacy and services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence while encouraging social change through education. The agency began in 1981 when a group of concerned community members saw a need. Since the beginning, the Family Crisis Center has provided 24-hour services to meet the needs of survivors. Those in need of services can call the 24-hour crisis line at 620-792-1885 or toll-free at 866-792-1885.

For additional information or to obtain a volunteer application, contact Jenni McReynolds at 620-793-9941.

Patzner was honored for her 20 Years of Service by the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) during its 8th annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets reception in Topeka on Feb. 9.

"We honor Laura for her many years of commitment on behalf of victims of sexual and domestic violence," said Joyce Grover, executive director of KCSDV. "The Years of Service awards are given in recognition of efforts that often go unrecognized, but are transformative and in many cases are life-saving."

Patzner’s mother, Dell Hayden, was the first director of the Family Crisis Center. "I can remember that we had a red rotary dial telephone, which was the crisis line, in our home. Whenever that phone rang we knew that we were to be quiet and support our Mom while she was supporting the women in our community," Patzner said.