For somebody going through a traumatic time in their life, sometimes all they need is someone to be there for them. TIP (Trauma Intervention Program of Greater Portland) is there in those times. Pam Grant is the Director of TIP and is also a volunteer and dispatcher. She started volunteering for the program in February 2022 and became the program’s director on May 1, 2022.
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| TIP will be conducting a training session in September for those who are interested in becoming a volunteer. A volunteer must attend all of the training sessions which is about 55 hours of training. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
TIP volunteers say that they are not the same individuals they were before volunteering for TIP. They are more compassionate, more tolerant, and more grateful for what they have and for the loved ones in their lives.
Although TIP is simple, our volunteers make a huge difference to those they help. It’s not unusual for someone we helped to say, ‘I’ll never forget the volunteer angel’. We know that a TIP volunteer’s immediate presence during the worst times in a person’s life is a major factor in that person’s healing process,” says Grant.
But the presence of a TIP volunteer on an emergency scene does not only benefit the victim. It is also a huge relief for emergency responders and hospital personnel who are often too busy to attend to survivors by promoting healing by preventing a second injury, as a major tool for emergency responders, and by training and supervising citizen helpers.
TIP will be having a training session again in September for all those who are interested in becoming a volunteer. A volunteer must attend all the training sessions, which amounts to about 55 hours of training.
Steve Sanborn of Windham became a TIP volunteer in September 2022.
“I learned about TIP through an article published in The Windham Eagle in 2022,” said Sanborn. I had been interested in finding a volunteer project that would be beneficial to the community, and TIP really helps people who are facing very difficult circumstances. Every call is unique. You may be called to someone's home, or the scene of an accident, or to the hospital. When we receive a call, we consult with the first responder or hospital nurse, and then we meet with the people who are dealing with the trauma. It may be a family member, or a friend, or someone involved in the accident. Our goal is to provide comfort and support to the person or people affected by the trauma, and to keep them from experiencing additional harm. People experiencing trauma are often grieving, but they may feel other emotions such as anger or guilt, or they may be in shock and feel confused or disoriented. We try to protect them from doing something that would make the situation worse and also keep outside sources from causing additional harm.
"After the initial training, the time commitment is not excessive,” says Sanborn. “You are on call three 12-hour shifts a month. You can choose either a day or night shift. Some months you do not receive any calls. Occasionally, you may get more than one call in a shift. This has helped me to understand what Jesus meant when he told us to love our brothers and sisters. When someone is just emotionally wrecked, in grief and shock and experiencing the worst day of their lives, and you can be there to support them and give them empathy, it really feels like you are giving part of yourself to help them begin to find their footing again.”
When Sanborn initially signed up, he wasn't sure if he could do it.
“The training really helped to prepare me, but I still didn't know if I could do it until I received my first call,” he said. “After that first call, I realized that I could do it.”
Kim McBride of Windham became a TIP volunteer in September 2022.
“After retiring, I was looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity. I read about the program in The Windham Eagle and after a conversation with the TIP director, I signed up for the training. I chose TIP because it provides a remarkable opportunity to be there for a person on the worst day of their life,” said McBride. “We can't change what happened, but we can support the survivors through those terrible first hours after an accident or death and make it less likely that they will suffer a "second injury" because they were alone and unsupported.”
When you volunteer, you stay close to your phone and remain within 30 minutes of Maine Medical Center, where many of TIP calls originate. The dispatcher shares information about the call, and then you head out with your TIP bag, which contains resources including tissues and water. Volunteers are trained in the "emotional first aid" skills that they use to comfort and support survivors of an unexpected event. Each survivor's needs are different.
“Sometimes we do the most good by just being there and listening,” McBride says. “In other cases, we help in more direct ways. For example, we might help them think through who to call, what their next steps should be, or what resources are available to them. If you have the time and the emotional availability to help others, there is no more profound experience than being present for another person in their time of need.”
For more details about the program, visit www.tipgreaterportland.org or call 207-619-1175. <
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