Volunteer Animal Foster 
Eleventh Hour Rescue
May 2017 – Present

I actively foster animals and help rehabilitate any with behavioral issues so that they can find good homes. I work with potential adopters to help them understand the responsibilities of owning and taking care of their new pet and support the rescue agency during events.

Fundraising Participant & Content Contributor
Mass Effect Marathon 
Nov 2010 – 2017

I first dyed my hair pink to raise money for this charity! – Fun Fact, I was interviewed and quoted by the New York Times Fashion Column for being a working professional that pushed the boundaries of self expression with my hair color.

Fundraising for Child’s Play Charity, raising money to buy toys, books, and video games for children in hospitals and domestic violence shelters across the world.

As a participating member of the G33kWatch Team, I helped to plan, perform, and participate in numerous fundraising events. I have also generated written content for the website.

I have held substantial responsibility for helping to organize the Mass Effect Marathons, and the Bioshock Marathon. This includes everything from engaging with our audience on social media to solicit donations and spreading the word about our events to writing, practicing, and performing original comedy and musical sketches and hand crafting props to be used in the performances that brought donations to our chosen cause; Child’s Play Charity by Penny Arcade.

To date, we have held six live-streaming online fundraising events, generating over $90,000 in donations.

 

Suicide Prevention Hotline Volunteer
The Samaritans of New York
Sep 2010 – Mar 2011

I was a suicide prevention hotline operator. This work involved intense training, following of strict guidelines, and focused performance under high stakes pressure.

With the Samaritans, I underwent intensive communication education and specific suicide related crisis training. Unlike commonly held perceptions of crisis hotline conduct, there are strict protocols and guidelines kept in place while answering crisis calls, including contextual information gathering, emergency action plan execution, as well as simultaneous rapport building with callers, non-assumptive listening, and communication based in empathy and genuine emotional expression.

As part of my training I closely studied the effects of death, loss, metal health affliction, and addiction. Training involved regularly rising up to high stakes challenges, reacting without ego-driven responses, and performing stressful social tasks under pressure. I also re-learned a lot about the way human beings communicate, and am greatly humbled by the experience.