Making A Difference In Your Community : Help Line for Battered Looks for Assistance

The O. J. Simpson case has drawn unprecedented attention to the issue of domestic violence. And for Betty Fisher, that means more calls for help.

“We’re shorthanded,” said Fisher, executive director of Haven Hills Inc., which runs the only shelter in the San Fernando Valley for battered women and their children. “We could definitely use more volunteers.”

Fisher said the number of telephone calls to the Haven Hills 24-hour counseling hot line has jumped dramatically since June, when police released the transcripts of 911 emergency calls from Nicole Simpson, the former football star’s ex-wife, who was slain along with her friend Ronald Goldman.

“It really spiked after the 911 calls were released to the media,” Fisher said. The hot line had typically received 250 calls a month before the murders. Now they receive more than 400.

“Many women really identified with that,” Fisher said.

In one portion of the tape, Nicole Simpson is heard pleading for help, saying that O. J. Simpson was breaking down her door.

Volunteers on the crisis line receive 40 hours of training. The next training session for Haven Hills, which was started in 1977, begins in September. Crisis line workers can make referrals to counselors and shelters after listening to the caller and confirming that she may be in an abusive relationship. But they are trained not to give advice, Fisher said.

“People who do best with this are those who are able to put their own feelings aside about what they think is best for the women,” Fisher said.

After the training, some volunteers find they are not suited for the work and quit. Others have been with Haven Hills for years.

The shelter especially needs volunteers during the daytime hours, when the crisis line gets the majority of its calls. For more information, call Fisher at (818) 887-7481.

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A national network of volunteers called doingsomething is looking to expand its operations into the San Fernando Valley, said spokeswoman Wendy Vega.

The organization, whose Los Angeles work has focused on Westside projects, is geared toward matching busy professionals with short-term volunteering opportunities. So far, the group has helped Valley organizations such as the Women’s Care Cottage, the Big Brother organization, United Way events and the Valley Shelter in North Hollywood.

“We’re trying to build our way into the Valley,” Vega said.

Most of the volunteer opportunities are for one or two hours. “They’re just one-time things,” Vega said. To contact doingsomething, call (310) 391-3907.

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The Helping Hands Society--a new group based in Tarzana to help single working parents--is looking for volunteers to plan fund-raisers, set up a support group and help with other projects.

Donna Oran, a single mother of two, said she started the group to help single parents afford to attend school or other activities to improve their lives.

The first mailing for the group went out recently to 300 people, about 70 of whom are single parents. The next meeting is Aug. 20 at 10:30 a.m. Call Oran at (818) 345-6452 for more information.

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Wise Senior Services in Santa Monica is looking for volunteers to be advocates for senior citizens in nursing homes.

These volunteers investigate complaints, promote the needs of nursing home residents and help identify long-term problems.

Fall training sessions are being scheduled. For more information, call Estelle Harris at (800) 334-9483 or (310) 394-9871.

Getting Involved is a weekly listing of volunteering opportunities. Please address prospective listings to Getting Involved, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax them to (818) 772-3338.