James DuBose When Camden native James DuBose was searching for a way to give back to the community, he turned to the United Way for help. The organization's website matched him with a volunteer opportunity that changed his perspective and future career goals. The 27- year- old contacted Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands (STSM) in early 2008 and applied for a position as a volunteer advocate.

"It seemed like it was an opportunity to make a difference in people's lives," he said. "It seemed like a challenging thing to do."

As a volunteer advocate, DuBose covers two shifts a month, which include being on call to accompany a survivor at the hospital. He will stay with the survivor throughout the process providing support and information. Volunteer advocates also answer the organization's 24- hour crisis hotline.

All of STSM's 44 active volunteer advocates had to complete nearly 25 hours of training that includes visiting hospitals to talk with nurses who handle sexual assault patients.

DuBose admits he had his reservations about volunteering because he was a man. "I was wondering about it when I started," he said. "The staff members never said that that was a problem. It only happened to me one time that a person didn't want a man with them. Sometimes they are going to choose to have someone of their own gender with them. There's not much I can do about being a guy."

Guiding others through such a traumatic situation is a large responsibility and a skill that takes time to develop. DuBose remembers being nervous and not as prepared as he would have liked for his first hospital visit. "I was uncertain and started second guessing myself," he said. "When I left I realized that I could have done things a little bit better. So I focused on learning from that and said 'here's what I need to work on.' I try and remember that I'm not the one who has the problem. I try not to think of it as a test I need to get an "A" on, but I do want to do the best that I can."

The experience of being a volunteer advocate made DuBose consider a new direction for his professional life. He has applied for the masters program at USC's College of Social Work. In addition, last week DuBose was presented with a volunteer award from the United Way for his work with STSM.

All STSM volunteers must be 18 years of age and have access to reliable transportation. Volunteers agree to serve for a minimum of one year and are required to attend continuing education training sessions throughout the year. For more information on how to become a volunteer advocate visit www.stsm.org or call 803- 790-8208. The next volunteer training session begins in June.