[Katy]

Since its beginnings in 2001, Pandora's Aquarium has grown to become the world's largest online support community for survivors and secondary survivors of sexual violence with currently more than 30,000 registered members! At present the board has over 1 million posts, 30 individual forums and two dedicated chat rooms - all of which are entirely moderated and organized by a dedicated team of survivors who have volunteered their time, energy and compassion to ensure that Pandy's members feel welcomed, safe and supported. We are incredibly lucky to have such a committed and passionate group of people because, without them, Pandy's would simply not exist!

As you can imagine, looking after a community with that many members is no small feat! As the community has grown, our need for staff members to help moderate the community has also grown. We do advertise regularly in the Announcements Forum for members to apply for staff positions and if this is something that you think you'd like to do, then we really do urge for you to apply.

Many members have told us about how much Pandy's has helped them and how much they have wanted to be able to give back to a community that has supported them. Being a staff member enables you to do that in a very special and invaluable way! As a staff member you help to ensure that Pandy's is there for other people to turn to when they feel there is no where else or when they believe that no one cares. As a staff member you help to ensure that Pandy's remains a safe and secure place for survivors to turn to when their sense of safety has been shattered, and that there is a place where survivors can express themselves and be free from judgement and condemnation. As staff members, many of us has been in the privileged position to watch members grow and develop and move forward in their healing - and to be part of that is both rewarding and an honor.

Some staff members have shared with us about how scared they were about applying for a staff position. How they felt they would never be selected; how they felt they were not "healed" enough; how they felt they would not be "good" enough; and ultimately how shocked they were when they landed the job! We do not expect our staff members to be "healed" or perfect! Some staff members are in the earlier stages of their healing journey, and others are a little further along. We all have good days and bad days - and periods when we need to take some time out for ourselves. That's okay! As a staff member, we expect and encourage you to put your own healing needs first at all times. We also do not expect staff members to do everything perfectly because we all make mistakes, and we do not expect staff members to know what to do in any given situation, which is why we work as a team and support each other.

If you feel like you have the time, energy and desire to help keep Pandy's safe and supportive for members then please apply if you see a staff position that you find interesting. If you want to know any more about that position or if you have any questions whatsoever, you can contact any of the board moderators in complete confidence. Please rest assured that we consider every application we receive very carefully and that every offer of help is valued. We'd love to hear from you!

Please see our FAQ about volunteering here for more information.