Frank Hagin
with Victim Assistance Program of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office

Sometimes, a soothing voice on the other end of the phone can make all the difference between anxiety and reassurance, between fear and strength, between feeling alone and being supported. In Boulder County, a victim who is facing the fear and uncertainty caused by a trauma may answer the phone to discover Boulder resident Frank Hagin providing that soothing voice of calm and comfort.

Five years ago, Frank Hagin answered the call to "reach out and touch someone" when he learned about the Victim Assistance Program of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. The Victim Assistance Program is one of several programs run by the Sheriff's Office using the skills, caring and dedication of volunteers. Volunteer victim advocates provide support, referrals, resources, information and advocacy to victims of crime or trauma.

Frank and his wife re-located to Boulder in 1994, after he retired from teaching math at the Colorado School of Mines. In 2003, Frank joined the Victim Assistance team as an on-scene advocate, responding to pages from law enforcement and showing up at the scene of events to provide in-person comfort and support to victims. When time constraints limited his ability to go out on calls, he shifted to the outreach branch of the program, in which volunteers call victims to check in on their well-being and offer information and referrals.

Frank recalls one memorable call he took, in which he was following up with a couple who had just experienced a burglary. As he listened to the wife tell her story, he learned that her greatest concern wasn't the burglary - it was the health of her husband. Her husband had been involved in a motorcycle accident and was facing the possibility of losing his leg. It became clear to Frank that this woman wanted and needed to talk about this emotional and life-changing issue. Frank used his skills as an advocate to listen to her compassionately and reassure her that she wasn't alone.

Frank is married and has three daughters, six grandchildren, and one very photogenic cat. In his spare time, he likes to do renovation projects, furniture building and woodworking. He is just one more than two dozen other volunteers in the Victim Assistance Program, which is currently recruiting for new volunteers.

"Our volunteers find that this is such a wonderful opportunity to provide compassion and aid in our community, while at the same time growing and learning as individuals," said Donna Foster, coordinator of the Victim Assistance program.

The program will offer a free, 40-hour training in April 2008 in which volunteers learn a breadth of useful information and skills. The deadline to apply for the program is March 14. For more information, visit www.bouldersheriff.org.

For information about volunteering with the Victim Assistance Program of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904.