Unsilenced unveils volunteering opportunities
The nonprofit offers new remote and virtual opportunities nationwide
On Monday, June 1, Unsilenced launched its highly anticipated volunteering program. The nonprofit hopes to utilize survivors and advocates alike to further its goal of “ending institutional child abuse through advocacy, education, research, survivor support, and systems change,” according to a briefing.
“We're incredibly excited to officially launch Unsilenced's volunteer program and create new opportunities for people across the country to support our mission of ending institutional child abuse,” said Timothy Pitoniak, Senior Director of Volunteer Programs and Partnerships at Unsilenced.
The program is in the first phase of its launch, with more opportunities coming on line over the course of 2026. In this phase, volunteers can choose to get involved with the Street Team and/or Special Projects.
“As we launch the program this summer, our immediate focus is on our Street Team and Special Projects volunteers,” Pitoniak explained. “These opportunities allow people to support Unsilenced through community outreach, awareness-building, research, digital projects, and other short-term initiatives that help strengthen our work.”
Street Team
The Street Team is described Unsilenced’s “grassroots ambassador network. Volunteers help expand awareness of the organization's mission through social media engagement, community outreach, event promotion, and advocacy efforts. Participants can contribute remotely while helping amplify survivor stories, educational resources, and opportunities for public engagement.”
Special Projects
The Special Projects allows volunteers to “provide support across a variety of organizational initiatives and mission-driven projects.”
Unsilenced characterizes Special Projects as a wide range of tasks that have various levels of scope and commitment, with volunteers able to contribute as their time and expertise allow. Projects could include things like:
Research and data collection
Website and digital projects
Social media support
Resource development
Community engagement initiatives
Administrative and operational support
Future Opportunities
Pitoniak highlighted the future opportunities available to volunteers as well. “While our initial volunteer offerings are intentionally limited as we build the program, this is just the beginning,” he said.
“In September, we plan to expand into additional volunteer opportunities, including our Survivor Support Team, Outreach Team, and Digital Investigation & Information Gathering (DIIG) Team. These programs will help us connect survivors with resources, increase public awareness of the Troubled Teen Industry, support advocacy efforts, and strengthen research and investigative work that advances accountability and justice.”
The DIIG team will help with online research, asking volunteers to take an active role in digging through publicly available records and data and contribute to investigations that help the nonprofit advocate and educate in a more meaningful way.
The Outreach Team is an opportunity for the networkers out there. Its main focus will include building bridges and connections between survivors, advocates, organizations, policy makers, and others who are interested in ending institutional child abuse.
While the Outreach Team is focused on connecting outward, the Survivor Support Team is all about inreach. Volunteers with this team will have the opportunity to support survivors with resources, education, and community building.
Finally, Unsilenced will be looking for professionals who want to partner with them. These can be policy makers, lawyers, healthcare and mental health workers, or anyone else who believes their experience can help the cause.
“Volunteers have always played a critical role in advocacy movements, and we’re looking forward to building a nationwide community of people who want to make a difference,” added Pitoniak. “Anyone age 18 or older is welcome to apply, complete our orientation process, and explore ways to get involved.”
Onboarding
Volunteers who are looking to join the team at Unsilenced will be given structured training as part of their onboarding, including a mission orientation, training materials, a Code of Conduct, introductions to fellow volunteers, and access to volunteer resources.
The nonprofit has taken steps to ensure the volunteer process is trauma-informed, prioritizing volunteer wellbeing alongside impact.
The initial interest in the launch, even before June 1, was very high.
According to Pitoniak, “We've been encouraged by the response we've received so far and are excited about what's ahead.”
Volunteers interested in those programs can contact the Unsilenced volunteering team or fill out the interest form or visiting their website. The planned launch date for the next phase of volunteer programs is in September.