HammondCare at Home – Community Visitor
Comments from Kyla
“Who can predict the future? I always think – am I going to be in a situation one day where I would appreciate someone popping their head in to say hello? Previously I volunteered in animal welfare, but I was looking for a change and I know I would enjoy the self-satisfaction of helping others. I get a feeling of satisfaction and self-esteem when I do my weekly visit, it is something I really enjoy and it helps the person I visit with their week. It makes me feel good about myself as a person. I really love giving back to my community.”
Comments from HammondCare at Home
“Even though Kyla works full-time, she visits her client on a weekly basis for an hour every week. Kyla has really made a difference to her client’s week. They chat about what is going on in town. Her client was alone after her husband moved to an assisted living facility and she was restricted to staying at home. We are so fortunate that Kyla is willing to spend her free time improving the quality of life of her elderly client who lives alone at home. At HammondCare we aim to match volunteers to clients with mutual interests and we only ask for a minimum of one hour of time each week from our volunteers, though people can give as much time as they choose. This regular visit ensures that elderly people can continue to develop sustainable relationships.”
Key learning for Volunteer Managers
Volunteering is about quality, not quantity. The commitment of one hour per week is sustainable for Kyla as she is working full-time but she can manage one hour to visit her client. This enables them to have a regular catch up and it reduces the loneliness and isolation which her client might otherwise experience. When volunteers are asked to provide more hours than they can offer, it can result in them leaving their volunteer organization.