Townhall II seeks more volunteers

Sara Bennett

Townhall II is looking for volunteers for their 24-hour helpline.

Christa Veltri, training coordinator at Townhall II, said the organization is looking for all the help it can get.

Training classes begin at 5 p.m. Sept. 25 and are only offered twice a year.

Veltri said she is accepting applicants up until that day.

The classes consist of 80 hours of lecture, role-playing and various activities to prepare helpline volunteers to deal with the situations they will come across.

Townhall II was created by a grassroots effort on Kent State’s campus more than 35 years ago, Veltri said.

She said volunteers were plentiful then, but have since declined greatly.

“In the past, we would get classes of like 30 people,” Veltri said. “Now, a good class size is about 15.”

She said volunteering sometimes leads to other positions.

“A lot of people who work here start as volunteers,” she said.

For information regarding volunteering, visit the Townhall II Web site at www.townhall2.com, or contact Christa Veltri at (330) 678-3006.

– Sara Bennett