Help assemble care kits with Connect to Cure at Damien Center!

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Connect to Cure is a linkage to care program for Hoosiers living with (or at risk for contracting) hepatitis C.The program was developed by community partners based on work funded and overseen by the Indiana Department of Health. The Connect to Cure program is a statewide initiative housed here at Damien Center and administered by local Damien Center staff and volunteers, as well as by Care Coordinators across the entire state. Join us as we assemble various types of kits aimed at connecting Hoosiers with the cure for HepC! Safer Snorting, Safer Smoking, and Safer Injection Kits are assembled by generous volunteers like yourself and are distributed by our Street Outreach team and Connect to Cure Care Coordinators across Indiana! This is a great opportunity for folks who might benefit from a more flexible volunteering experience including working professionals, current and/or former patients, young adults, and those seeking a semi-educational outlet. This is also a great opportunity for large volunteer groups like churches, sports teams, schools, or local businesses.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Work alongside Damien Center staff, as well as other volunteers, to assemble various types of kits aimed at providing assistance and relief to folks living with or at risk for contracting hepatitis C throughout the State of Indiana.
2. Accurately assembly Safer Snorting, Safer Smoking, Safer Injection or other safe use kits at the close direction of the Connect to Cure Coordinator or Manager. The kits may contain items such as testing strips, lighters, and/or other harm reduction and safer use tools.
3. Participate in discussion related to connecting Hoosiers with the cure for hepatitis C, including topics of drug use, sexual intercourse and harm reduction.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Have a friendly and approachable demeanor - be a people person!
• Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age to participate in this opportunity. All volunteers under the age of 18 will need to have a parent/guardian signature on file before participating.
• Must be comfortable with discussions related to drug use (both intravenous and non-intravenous), sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS/other STIs.
• Strong and compassionate communication skills - must be able to converse with folks from diverse and marginalized backgrounds without stereotyping or imposing judgment.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit, stand, walk and/or bend, with or without assistance, for approximately two hours per session.
• Ability to utilize fine motor skills when assembling these kits - there are various small items going into small zip-lock baggies.
• Ability to perform repetitive motions like bending and lifting your arms and hands, opening and closing zip-lock bags, picking up and putting down materials no heavier than 1lb at a time.

Time Commitment & Training:

• This opportunity occurs once a month, on an alternating schedule of the third Friday and the first Monday of each month. For example: the first opportunity of 2025 will be on Friday, January 17th, followed by the next opportunity on Monday, February 3rd (and so on). Volunteers are not required to commit to more than one opportunity at a time. Pease view sign up details below for more information.
• This opportunity is a particularly great match for corporate groups or business partners who might like to sponsor a private volunteer opportunity. We typically reserve the final Friday of each month for these opportunities, and you can schedule this directly with our Volunteer Manager, Ceven Webb, via email at cwebb@damien.org.
• Volunteers will (1) create a New Volunteer Profile in CERVIS and (2) complete a New Volunteer Orientation and Training Session - either virtually or in-person prior to their first volunteer shift. This is required regardless of the position you are applying for.
• Interested volunteers will then sign up for the shifts they would like to work by utilizing the volunteer profile in CERVIS. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for as many of these one-off opportunities as they would like.

About the Environment:

Currently, this opportunity varies in location, volunteers should make note of which location they have signed up to attend on CERVIS. When hosted at our main Damien Center clinic, located at 26 N. Arsenal Ave, we will be working in the third-floor boardroom. The room is very spacious and typically cool, with hardwood floors and tables and chairs that can be configured in any way. There is an elevator, accessible via the back parking lot, that can take you to the third floor if you prefer not to (or are unable to) use the stairs. Please notify the Volunteer Manager or group leader before using the elevator, as a staff member will need to guide you through the office space.

When hosted at our administrative offices, located at 3909 N. Meridian St., we will be working in the second-floor boardroom. This is the main level of the building, which is accessible only via ramp in the parking lot behind the building. Please note that while the space and restrooms are on the main level, which is accessible via wheelchair, there is no elevator at this location. This building is also climate controlled based on the current weather, though dressing in easily removable layers is always recommended. The boardroom here is much smaller, though still able to be navigated by those using mobility aids or other assistance.