our volunteers - Walk-In Counseling Center

By all appearances, Myra* is a “normal” 50-year-old woman. She’s a wife and mother,
works part-time, and is active in her church and several community groups.
Last winter Myra’s father died. Aft er the funeral her 15-year-old son started asking questions
about the uncles he’d never heard of and had just met for the fi rst time. Th e memories and
pain came rushing in...the years of sexual abuse at their hands could no longer be forgotten.
Following the funeral Myra shut down. Her relationships with her husband and son became
distant and strained. She stopped attending social functions. She was written up at work. Her
life began to unravel.
Somehow she knew about Walk-In. She doesn’t remember how. (Many people don’t.) It was
knowledge waiting to be used. Myra knew she had to do something, even if it was “just” talk.
And talk she did; about deep regret, disappointment, sorrow and anger toward the people who
should have loved and protected her but didn’t. Th rough tears and words over the course of
several sessions, she began to get in touch with the pain.
At Walk-In she found help sorting it all out. She’s even thinking about forgiveness.
But perhaps most importantly, she took that fi rst step to walk in the door ... and begin healing.
*name and details have been changed to protect identity
“(I volunteer) to stay true to what I really love to do and that is to be with others in their suff ering,
confusion, or simply their need to connect to somebody who wants to listen. I stand behind the
mission of Walk-In and am proud to be a part of something so unique.” �
2011 Volunteer