Give the gift of time

Are you prepared to give some of your time? Do you have a desire to help someone change their life for the better? A want to “give back” to society? A good sense of fun?

Volunteers don’t need to have “special skills”. They don’t all have big halos and ethereal smiles. They do, however, have big hearts, with enough room for compassion for those in need, and the drive to help kids and families in tough times or who are suffering from bad choices — not always their own.

Oh, and while volunteers’ smiles might not be “ethereal”, they are big. And genuine.

Volunteers make a valuable contribution to the work of MacKillop Family Services in many ways:

• giving support and friendship to adults and children
• opening their own homes to care for children or adolescents
• offering practical and emotional support to families with a child with a disability
• providing childcare and driving assistance
• working alongside staff in education services
• staffing op-shops
• helping in administration
• serving on committees and the Board of Directors

Volunteers make a unique contribution because they provide a quality of involvement that cannot be paid for. Volunteers are essential contributors to MacKillop's goal of "Building Community".

As well as supporting our work, volunteering for the MacKillop Family Services can be fun, rewarding, a great way to meet new people and an excellent opportunity to use your existing skills or develop new ones.

Volunteers include Foster Carers, Lead Tenants and Youth Mentoring.

Key criteria for volunteers include:

• ability to make a commitment and work as part of a team
• ability to attend training programs
• specific skills according to the program needs
• satisfactory criminal records check
• agreement to confidentiality principles
• commitment to values and policies of MacKillop Family Services.

In return, MacKillop provides:

• appropriate training
• insurance coverage
• support and assistance
• clear descriptions of your role
• acknowledgment and recognition
• a sense of reward and satisfaction.