Picture Perfect: Helping to Teach New Volunteers

Volunteering your time at the Nest requires a lot more than just compassion and the desire to help others.

 

Those qualities are imperative, of course, but serving victims of domestic violence is a delicate proposition, which is why the NEST has put together a training video dedicated to teaching the basics of domestic violence to future volunteers.  It will be available on their Facebook page, website and YouTube and Vimeo channels.

 

Among those that volunteered their time making this possible is Greg Hayes, who has experience as a videographer for Church Out of Church.

 

Greg Hayes
Pictured is Greg Hayes, owner of White Mountain Express Courier Service and volunteer videographer for HEAL.

“I figured I would just put a camera at the back of the room and tape it,” Hayes said. “It turned out to be very involved, requiring text and editing. I had to learn a lot about editing.”

 

The care with which Hayes assembled the video is a testament to how serious everyone at the NEST, from the director to the newest volunteer, take the job of assisting victims of domestic violence and giving them the tools they need to get back on their feet.

 

“The video was shot at the Sanctuary on the River conservatory with open lighting, so I had to do a lot of color correction,” Hayes said. “There were also a lot of interruptions and conversation during the training that I had to edit out.”

 

Hayes, who owns the White Mountain Express Courier Service, is also working to get another business off the ground, one in which he takes pictures of homes and properties for sale, in the interest of getting them sold faster.

 

“It’s about making the home look good, with professional lighting and photography,” Hayes said. “Also, making the HEAL video gave me experience so I can also add video to the real estate agent’s website.”

 

More than shooting and editing, Hayes had the challenge of properly following Coleen Widell, director of the NEST, who led the training session.  “It was a challenge keeping her in focus, she moves around a lot,” Hayes said. “I’m used to taking pictures of still things.”

 

By the end of his journey through digital editing, Hayes had put together a video that will help all volunteers navigate the tricky world of domestic violence recovery.

 

Hayes, who plays every year in the annual Deacon Bob Open charity golf tournament that raises funds for the Nest, had never been this involved in anything the domestic violence shelter does.

 

“It was really more of a favor to Julie,” Hayes said, referring to HEAL board president Julie Gilliland. “It is a great organization, and I’m happy to help however I can.”