Mature volunteers in Goulburn and Crookwell are sought for a home visiting program, getting alongside parents and children in a helpful, caring way. "Home-Start families come to us with a variety of experiences [including] isolation and loneliness," says family worker Mhairi Fraser.
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Families may be new to the region or separated from their wider family, so sharing the joys and challenges of bringing up young children is not available, and overwhelming.
Home-Start volunteers are a critical link between family and community. "I love the creativity of the volunteer role," says Sue Robinson, who regularly visits a family with three children under four. "We celebrate birthdays, make playdough animals and visit the library. I'm a listening ear and an extra pair of hands."
Brenda Writer has volunteered with Home-Start for over a decade. "No two families are alike. Sometimes I chat with mum as we fold a mountain of washing; I may have a three-year-old in my lap for a story or a fretful baby to soothe. I'm a kind-of grandmother figure; who doesn't need a grandmother?"
All Home-Start volunteers are trained and supervised. The next program starts on May 7 and training runs every Tuesday and Wednesday morning until graduation on May 21.
- To train as a volunteer home visitor, contact Mhairi Fraser on 0427 466 847 or goulburn@homestartaustralia.org
