Agora Crisis Center is now accepting volunteer applicants for the fall semester and is offering several upcoming volunteer training sessions.

Agora is a crisis hotline affiliated with and located on The University of New Mexico campus. It was founded in 1970 when students and professors came together wanting to create a free and confidential resource for any caller in need of a listener.

Agora Crisis Center relies heavily on its volunteers. Typically, volunteers provide services through phone calls and an online chat feature. During the COVID-19 pandemic in-person operation was limited leaving many volunteers participating only through Agora’s chat feature.

This year Agora is accepting volunteers who can safely come into the center for their weekly shifts. This means coming in with a mask if a volunteer is not vaccinated and only coming in if a volunteer has no known COVID exposures/symptoms.

Agora’s volunteer application is open to individuals 18 or older. These individuals must undergo the required 40 hours of training and four training shifts before they can work with Agora as a certified volunteer.

Training sessions will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 23, Oct. 30, Nov. 6, and Nov. 13 in addition trainees are to attend a “listening shift” after each Saturday session. Attendance at all training sessions is required to become a volunteer.

Click here for the most up-to-date info on volunteering.