BOISE, Idaho — Maybe a loved one has a heart attack or there's a car accident, and that's when the volunteers behind the trauma intervention program -- also known as "TIP" are there to help.
"People aren't prepared to deal with it and so these really great volunteers show up and they help tuck your feet underneath you," said Kymber Neal-Jenkins, Executive Director of the TIP.
They're citizens helping citizens in crisis. Neal-Jenkins has been a part of it since it started in the Treasure Valley in 2015. TIP has since expanded into Nampa and now Valley County.
"I wanted to do something that would make a difference, I wanted to serve my community and really be there for people," Neal-Jenkins said.
The volunteers undergo background checks, along with 55 hours of training. Then they respond within the 911 system to help people who experience a traumatic event.
"So we respond and we help them through the next steps," Neal-Jenkins said.
Right now, they're looking for volunteers from all walks of life to enroll in an academy which starts on April 7. While she adds, she joined to make a difference she along with the other volunteers get more than they give.
"It really is a privilege to be allowed in to peoples homes on the worst days of their lives and see they're resilient and amazing people in the community," Neal-Jenkins said.
The volunteers also sit with veterans who die alone in the VA Hospital, so that they're not alone during those final moments of their lives.
If you'd like to volunteer, you can find more information here.
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