My Nonprofit Reviews

I’ve been volunteering as a talkline counselor for about a year now. I think the most important thing I can say about Exhale is that it doesn’t just align with my values, it has helped me clarify what my values are. The same kind of qualities that we’re trained to foster in our talkline calls (respect for individual experience, nonjudgmental listening, empowering callers and championing their strengths) are the same qualities that I see in conversations at the organizational level, even in things like fund-raising. They were also really apparent in our training. (I found myself wondering why all educational experiences couldn’t be more like this!) And they’ve found their way into the rest of my life, helping me have better relationships with my friends, colleagues, and family.

Being on the line has been a really rich experience — sometimes exhilarating, and sometimes frankly really hard. What sustains me and makes me want to continue this work is my belief that that people’s abortion experiences deserve to be heard in an environment of caring, free from stigma. I know from talking to callers just how rare that kind of environment can be. I also get amazing support from Exhale staff and my fellow volunteers that has helped me grow as a counselor and meet the challenges that doing this kind of work can pose. This organization attracts really caring, smart, self-aware people who have been a joy to meet. Come join us!