Safety Guidlines For Volunteering With Us

 Profile Picture

Please choose a headshot (picture of your face), nature scene, art/symbol/image (i.e., Hope), or animal. Please do not include pictures of famous people, flags (in the context of political statements), sexually suggestive pics, or cartoon pics. You must be fully clothed in your picture. The goal of the picture is to express warmth, compassion, and kindness. 

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 Profile Bio

Please share a little about yourself. Do not link to other social media accounts or share any of your personal contact information. Do not include any graphic or inappropriate language. Your bio should be professional and approachable.

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 Profile Username

Avoid using graphic or inappropriate language in your username. Any username that contains graphic or inappropriate language will be flagged. 

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Talking to others

 Remain professional, supportive, kind, and respectful towards one another. Even if you do not get along with someone, it is up to you to act appropriately. If you must, step away and do not engage. You can also report them to an admin if needed.

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No self promotion

Do not send links to personal websites, social media pages, articles, groups, etc. Keeping everyone in our moderated pages keeps people safe. We can not assure safety for yourself or others if you lead people to other sites. ​

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Prevent hurtful rumors/gossip from spreading.

Rumor: a currently circulating story or report of uncertain truth.

Gossip: idle talk especially about the personal or private affairs of others

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 Refrain from sharing personal contact information

• Including, but not limited to, social media accounts, home addresses, phone numbers, messaging apps/sites

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Respect the boundaries of other community members.

This includes a total ban on stalking and harassment of any kind. No means no. 

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Choose not to engage in sexting or flirting.

Graphic, flirtatious, and sexually suggestive language is strictly prohibited. Refrain from sharing links of this nature. We have a zero-tolerance policy for these behaviors. Even if it is consensual, it is not allowed on any of our forums or posts. 

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Do not engage in hateful behaviors of any kind.

Showing hate towards any gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, racial or cultural background, or imposing your viewpoint on any of these items on another user is forbidden.

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 Be in a healthy state of mind.

You must not be suicidal, homicidal, or abusing anyone. Be kind to everyone and help create a welcoming environment. It is perfectly acceptable to take a break and come back if needed, Your mental health matters. 

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 Zero Tolerance Policy

Zero Tolerance Policy states that we will not support or entertain behaviors such as being unsupportive, bullying, discrimination or racism, inappropriate or flirting, sexting, or violation of any our community guidelines. With some actions, you may get a warning first. Others, you will be banned. Always be mindful of what you're saying and how you're interacting with others. 

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 In the Forums and Chats

We are a community that is open to learning and growing. We welcome constructive feedback and we celebrate the positive feedback. Please be mindful when giving feedback though, sometimes it can come across as hurtful instead of helpful.

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 To offer helpful constructive feedback please follow this model:

1. Identify the problem or concern.

2. Write it out. Think about if it is truly a problem or concern. Should you say something, or leave it be? Will it be okay if it is left?

3. Ensure you're not framing any personal opinions as facts. Everyone has different views and opinions. Those views may not align with ours, and that's okay. We're not here to debate who is right or who is wrong. It should be a supportive environment for everyone.

4. Ask what the emotions that I'm evoking with this feedback. Can what I'm saying come across as passive aggressive? 

5. Ask yourself – how would I feel if someone wrote this to me? If you would feel bad, annoyed, or sad, don't say it to them. 

6. If you feel good about it, then say it. If you don't feel good about it, then revise it so that you would feel good about it.

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 A simple way to ensure that your posts/chats are in line with our guidelines:

• What kind of impact is this going to have on the community?

• Is it neutral, positive, helpful, or does it build people up?

• Does it create health or compassion?

• Is this beneficial to others?