Plunket was founded over 100 years ago by people who wanted to help others in their communities. Today, they have thousands of Kiwis who give their time, knowledge, skills and energy to support whānau around the country. They'd love for you to join them.
The Home Help service is looking for volunteers who want to make a significant difference for whānau and tamariki.
What does being an In-Home Helper entail?
- When you volunteer, you will be connected with a family who have been referred for support. They could be struggling with post-natal depression or anxiety, feeling overwhelmed and lacking their own family support, navigating illness or disability, or any other factor that adds difficulty to their experience of parenting young children.
- You will visit this family once a week for six weeks, for a 1-2 hour period, and help out with whatever will be most useful for them. For some families this will be household chores such as dishes, laundry and vacuuming, while for others it could be helping out with the children so parents can rest and take a break.
- Many parents also appreciate a kind and compassionate ear and some friendly companionship. If support is still needed after the six week period visits may be extended, so flexibility is appreciated.
- Every family is different, therefore the tasks will vary depending on what support is needed or wanted by each individual family, but volunteers will need to be kind, understanding, non-judgmental, and willing to help.
What's in it for volunteers?
- This is a great way to give back to the community and make a real difference for families! Becoming a home help volunteer is also an excellent opportunity for students in health, education and social work pathways to gain experience in the situations young families face.
- Their clients describe the support they received through home help as 'invaluable', 'a real blessing', and 'the difference between coping and not coping'.
- Full training and ongoing support is provided by the coordinator, Josie.
- They are currently looking for volunteers in Dunedin and Balclutha.
Requirements
They would love to hear from people who are reliable and honest, show empathy and kindness, are energetic and positive, and want to make a difference.
A Police background check is required for this role.
Time commitment
- 1-2 hours per week for a period of 6 weeks at a time.
- Ideally a sixth month minimum commitment is required.
Please note: Visits are extended where needed, so some flexibility with this is appreciated.
Getting started
The first step is to express your interest by filling out the form below.
We will then put you in touch directly with the organisation for more information on the role and how to proceed.
Apply for this role:
Dunedin