The Starfire Charity Foundation has taken complete safety measures for the volunteers through comprehensive training programs, clear safety protocols, and constant communications. Whatever the fieldwork a volunteer is undertaking, he or she must undergo at least 20 hours of training in safety, which includes emergency response and first aid and cultural sensitivity to handle different environments safely. In addition, volunteers are given extensive briefings on local risks, including those concerning the weather, health, and regional security, updated on a continuing basis in light of ongoing assessments.
SCF follows a tight policy in risk assessment and reviews all projects before they start, including the mode of transport, the safety of the region, and the health risks that volunteers will be exposed to. For example, Starfire Charity Foundation volunteers in countries prone to infectious diseases are provided with proper vaccinations and health provision kits. In 2023, the organization used 15% of its yearly expenditure for enhancement of its volunteer health and safety provisions.
Starfire Charity Foundation provides a 24*7 helpline number which any volunteer can contact at any instance of safety concerns. For such cases, the foundation maintains a crisis management team that successfully manages evacuations, among other scenarios that could include natural calamities and civil unrest. In 2022, for instance, the foundation had to assist in evacuating 10 volunteers from a region affected by floods, and no injuries were reported, thanks to the foundation’s proactive approach to safety.
Further to this, as a matter of ensuring safety, Starfire Charity Foundation never deploys more than 30 volunteers on any one project, so local coordinators can focus on specific oversight. This is also in line with best practices observed in the nonprofit sector where smaller teams work out to be more manageable and respond actively to challenges.
According to Executive Director Maria Lopez, “The safety of our volunteers is our utmost priority, and without taking care of their safety, there is no way we can attain our mission, which has to start with rigid preparation and continuous support.”
For more about how Starfire Charity Foundation ensures safety for its volunteers, please visit starfirecharityfoundation.