​Robin Chestek

SAFE Project

​When my husband and I first moved here to Laramie, I had already retired after working for years for a small private landscaping company in the Midwest. Once we were settled in Laramie I wanted something to do that involved fewer hours than a full or part time job but also was challenging, and something that would let me give back to my new community. That was key. I view doing volunteer service work as an investment of time, talent and dedication, and also a unique learning experience. It also is a wonderful opportunity to touch the lives of people in need, even if only for a short time. 

Read More

One of my new friends here happened to be a volunteer advocate with Albany County SAFE Project, so I asked her about it and the more I learned about SAFE Project and the important work they do to help victims of domestic violence here in Albany County, the more I began to feel that volunteering with them would be a perfect match for me. 

There are so many things I love about volunteering with SAFE Project. I've been working with them for eight years now and it has been a wonderful learning experience. The staff is incredibly dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. They do a terrific job training and supporting us volunteers. We are trained to handle calls on the 24-hour hotline, meet with and assess potential clients for advocacy and shelter, provide transportation to clients, handle grocery pickup for shelter clients, and we are also given the opportunity to sit in on court proceedings. 

I feel that the efforts of all of us, whether full-time staff members or volunteers, have a huge impact on the clients we serve, no matter how much or little time we actually spend with them. The full-time staff members spend much more time with our clients, whether in person or on the phone, that's true. As a volunteer, I've sometimes had a lot of interaction with clients and other times I may have only spent a short time on the phone with a client during a hotline call, sometimes in the middle of the night. But I've always felt the underlying importance and responsibility with every chance that I've had to interact with a client. And it is my hope that every client I interact with recognizes my desire to help and support them.

​Robin is a committed volunteer who helps us on very short notice. She has taken the hotline many times with only a few hours of notice. Grocery shopping ensures our shelter clients have food each week. Her service ensures a safer community for all.

​Robin Chestek is the June Volunteer of the Month for the Safe Project Sponsored by ANB Bank.