Retire-to Volunteering

081 Mita Felman—DC Safe Never Ever Dull—DC Safe When Mita Felman retired from her career in public health administration and counseling, she didn't leave behind her compassion—nor her sense of adventure nor her willingness to take a risk. She brought all of that to her volunteer job with DC Safe, which takes her into areas of her city deemed unsafe and into circumstances no one wants to be a part of. As Mita says, the job has "never ever been dull"! Responding to a domestic abuse call dressed in everyday, "normal" clothes, Mita is in contrast to her partner, a uniformed police officer. In such conflicts, experience has shown that having the volunteer along can be calming and reassuring because the police are often viewed in that community with trepidation. With the kind of listening and counseling skills Mita and the other volunteers have, victims will more readily open up in ways that they would not have to the police, especially not to a male officer if the victim is female. Consequently, Mita is able to as