Quick quiz: Do you live on the South Side of Chicago, and are you bilingual in English and Spanish? If you answered “yes” to both questions, then Rape Victim Advocates is looking for you.

This winter, RVA is inviting students to participate in an “intense, life-altering” training program. Once a student completes the 56-hour program, he or she is certified as a Medical Advocate in the state of Illinois. Medical Advocates provide “crisis counseling, advocacy, information and referrals for sexual assault survivors and their significant others” in 16 hospitals throughout Chicago.

RVA is holding training sessions this winter on the following dates: January 18 through February 12, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. In order to receive certification, students must attend one of these sessions.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should contact the Advocacy Volunteer Coordinator at (312) 663-6303.