My Nonprofit Reviews

Shanti is an amazing organization both for its volunteers and for the breast cancer and HIV communities it supports. I joined Shanti 3 years ago as a volunteer in the HIV peer support program and am impressed regularly with Shanti's commitment, professionalism, and caring/knowledgable staff.

The first thing they do for new volunteers is to put them through an intensive weekend training program, which was an absolutely amazing experience. I was worried it would be poorly organized and kind of a waste of a precious weekend, but I could not have been more wrong. The training was well thought out and contained many safe and supported opportunities to practice the skills I would need as a peer support volunteer. The presenters were prepared and knowledgable, and the material was based on many combined years of Shanti experiences and best practices. I left the training with new friends and new skills in both personal life and peer support.

Following this I was matched with my very amazing and wonderful client, Josh, who is a blessing in my life. I am able to be a friend and support to him, listen to him, help him get to appointments, and share in his joys and his challenges. Our relationship is incredibly special to me, and I look forward to our time together very much. I feel grateful that we can share each other's lives through the Shanti model. I am also constantly supported by Shanti's amazing staff. As a volunteer I am part of a small support group that meets monthly, allowing us to work through issues that are hard for us with our client, share the joys and challenges and refresh ourselves by supporting one another. At the same time if I have anything come up with Josh that I'm not sure how to handle I can call or email my Shanti contact, who knows Josh personally and also stays connected to him. This means that Josh and I always have experts to go to for the challenges we are not sure how to handle on our own. I am so grateful to this amazing organization and love to be a part of it!