This week (18-24 May) is National Volunteer Week where we celebrate the ongoing efforts of volunteers who make an impact within our communities. This year at The Benevolent Society, we are shining a light on our home visiting program which is run by volunteers in Queensland. 

The volunteer home visiting program provides social connection and support to local families. The program is facilitated by 15 volunteers within the Coolangatta, Nerang, Coomera and Labrador areas. 

Volunteer coordinator Cassie says that volunteers play a vital role in the program and can assist with activities such as playtime with children, accompanying families to medical appointments and importantly, offering social connections and links to services in their local community.  

“Volunteers may attend a home visit for social connection for the family, spend time with the parent or play with the child. They might also support the family to access one of our local supported playgroups,” Cassie said. 

Cassie, who has been leading the service for over seven years, says it takes time and effort to understand each family, how best to support them, and to find the right volunteer for the family – much like a   matchmaking service! 

“It does feel like a matchmaking service as we also run a similar onboarding process with the volunteers to understand their interests, skills and discover where there’s a natural alignment,” she said. 

One of the volunteers who is part of the program is 70-year-old Sue who supports Kat, a mother of twins. One of Kat’s children has cerebral palsy and with no family nearby to lean on, Kat found Sue’s support to be a blessing.  

“I was struggling being a new parent with twins. To have Sue support me with tasks so I can pick up groceries or have her attend appointments with me allows for more flexibility,” she said. 

Sue says that this program and supporting families and children in this way is important because a lot of families have no extended family nearby, much like Kat.  

“Kat goes home feeling a bit lighter because she’s been able to offload some of her thoughts. By just having a person there, someone that cares does make a big difference,” she said. 

Reflecting on Sue, Kat shares her immense gratitude and describes how naturally she has become part of their family unit 

“She’s become part of the family and much like a grandmother-figure for my children. She’s really taken on that role which has been so nice,” she said. 

Cassie says the positive relationships built over time between families and volunteers help parents not only in their parenting roles, but also in other aspects of their lives. 
 
“The support of a volunteer has proven to be so beneficial for our families. The confidence the parents have within themselves, and their ability to grow their interpersonal skills and in-turn, have positive and safer relationships within their communities makes a huge difference.” 

She also shares that volunteers experience a sense of fulfillment from being part of the program and giving back to the communities and families who most need it. 
 
“I cannot put enough emphasis on what it means for families to receive this support and feel seen and heard – it gives me goosebumps just thinking about how imperative our volunteers are to the continued success of this program,” she said. 

There are no pre-requisites or experience required to become a volunteer with the home visiting program and there are various age groups and skill sets within the existing team. The only requirements are that individuals must have a Working with Children Check (WWCC), a Blue Card, Police background check and a NDIS Worker Check. 

If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer at the home visiting program or any of our other programs offered at The Benevolent Society, visit here or call us on 1800 236 762.