Back to school time is approaching, and the Orange County Rape Crisis Center is now looking for volunteers.

Alyson Culin of the OCRCC joined WCHL’s Aaron Keck to talk about the programs starting up again with the school year, including the Safe Touch program.

“We have our Safe Touch program, wherein all of the elementary schools in both school districts from pre-K all the way through fifth grade,” says Culin. “We’re teaching kids about being safe and safe versus unsafe touches, talking about your body belongs to you, things like that. We are having another volunteer training because we need wonderful people who are very excited to go into the classrooms and talk to kids.”

The Safe Touch program covers many facets, from teaching younger children about what to do when they feel unsafe, to older kids and the dangers of bullying and what to do when being bullied. The OCRCC speaks to well over 9,000 kids in schools across the county. Culin says that this is a great opportunity as she was once a volunteer for the Safe Touch program before she became a permanent member of the OCRCC.

“We offer training sessions. They’re going to start in mid-August,” Culin states. “We start at the beginning and cover everything from the heavier stuff on what sexual violence is all about, but then also how to answer crazy questions from 5-year-olds. After training, people will do a couple test runs, practice programs, and then they will jump into the schools, usually with a partner that’s a little bit more experienced.”

Culin says that the OCRCC is looking for as many volunteers as possible to help with the program. She says that they are accepting applications for their middle and high school programs that as well; training for those programs is starting in September.

For more information and to volunteer with the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, click here.

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