More volunteers needed in outer west
ANGLICARE Outer West is calling out to the community for compassionate volunteers who are willing to help people in financial crisis. According to Barbara McBride, ANGLICARE emergency relief co-ordinator, more volunteers are desperately needed in their emergency relief program to support the influx of families and individuals who are coming to the centre for help.
“With cost of living shooting up there are many people in the outer west who are finding it tough to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table. People are coming to us in great financial stress and we are in need of good listeners with life experience who we can train to provide practical ways to assist them,” Barbara explains.
“Some of our long term volunteers have retired, and with such high demand on the service, we are looking for another seven volunteers.”
Whether it’s a single mother desperately trying to keep her electricity from being cut off or someone needing food for the week, volunteers will be trained by ANGLICARE to not only meet their immediate need, but to help them be more financially stable for the long term.
“We will provide full training for people interested in volunteering. All we ask is a minimum commitment of one day a week, for two to five hours a day,” says Barbara.
“Of course there are some things that just can’t be taught and that comes from a compassionate and non-judgemental heart. Many of our volunteers are retirees who can understand the struggles people go through, and find volunteering very rewarding.”
For the past three years 68 year old Blacktown retiree Jan Brann has been rolling up her sleeve to help her community. For two days every week Jan makes her way to ANGLICARE Outer West to volunteer her time at ANGLICARE’s Emergency relief program.
“I was at home whinging about nothing to do and a friend encouraged me to go to an ANGLICARE information night to find out more about volunteering for the organisation,” Jan explains. “I thought the information night was very good as it gave me a good understanding of what working for ANGLICARE was all about.”
Jan says she felt daunted at first because there was a lot to learn. She had also been out of the workforce for a while and volunteering for ANGLICARE meant that she would be getting back to an office environment. However, once she settled down, she found that she really loved the work.
“The more you do it, the more confidence you gain. I love the paper work and the job keeps you busy. I do about five interviews a day each lasting about 45 minutes. During that time you are helping people with anything from electricity and water bills to rent and funeral costs. Sometimes I also pack food and groceries for our emergency food hampers.”
If you enjoy being with people and can spare a few hours a week to help your community, ANGLICARE Outer West is looking for you. Anyone interested can contact Barbara on 8805 0900.
