Everyone has something to offer
Volunteering at Samaritans could be just what your looking for!
Volunteers greatly enhance our ability to provide services to the community and have always been an important part of the Community Development activities that are core to the work Samaritans does. The Volunteer Community at Samaritans is diverse and unique. Volunteers come from all backgrounds and ‘walks of life’. Samaritans acknowledges and affirms the essential role played by volunteers within the organisation. It is recognised that, without the invaluable work carried out by volunteers, our important links and work within the community would just not be possible.
Samaritans is honoured by the donations of approximately 500 regular volunteers who give so generously of their time, their energy and their skills and knowledge and up to 100 volunteers who assist with the Christmas Lunch in the Park function. Their dedication to the vision and mission of Samaritans continues to help ensure the best possible delivery of services.
For more information on volunteering with Samaritans, contact:
Melissa Wiseman, Samaritans Volunteer Coordinator
P 02 4960 7157
E mwiseman@samaritans.org.au
Become a part of the Samaritans Community
The joy of volunteering is that it's a win-win situation. Volunteering provides an opportunity to grow one's skills and capabilities, expand your social network and make a valued contribution to Community Development. The joy of doing something worthwhile is an experience that can't be paid for, and when you know that it might make a real difference to someone in your community, then that will benefit not only you, but the whole community.
What Samaritans Can Offer
Volunteering Opportunities - Samaritans Services and Projects
Emergency Relief
Each month Samaritans provides more than 1,000 families with emergency assistance and relief throughout the Hunter and Central Coast regions. In these times of an increasing gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” Samaritans is experiencing an increasing demand for these services and a changing profile of people requiring assistance. Samaritans provides direct and practical assistance to those in need. Assistance includes utility vouchers, clothing, food parcels, financial advice and referral to other community services. There are eight offices and over 100 volunteers work on a roster basis to provide support and advice – this work would not happen without the dedication and commitment of the volunteers.
Samaritans Disaster Recovery
Samaritans Anglican Diocese of Newcastle is a member of Anglicare Australia. Anglicare is part of the State Emergency Management structure under the State Disaster Recovery Plan as a community partner.
Samaritans Emergency Services Program has several trained Disaster Recovery teams in the Newcastle, Hunter, Central Coast and Manning areas. The recent bushfires and floods of the past few years and more recently the Tsunami disaster highlights the importance of having trained teams ready to provide effective help to the families and communities affected.
Our Disaster Recovery Teams offer general support which means we may be asked to assist in any area from collecting information to providing food to organizing accommodation to filling a newly identified need of disaster affected persons. Our role is varied and is an essential part of the plan, our teams are trained in all areas of a Recovery Centre operation.
Please contact the Area Coordinator of Community Services for more information on 4922 1500.
NAALA - Newcastle’s African Australian Learning Activities
NAALA is a programme for members of the Newcastle African community, offering English language support, creative arts opportunities and life skills training. A large team of volunteers from local Anglican parishes and the Newcastle community provide tutoring, hospitality and administrative services for the project.
Each Saturday at 10.30am during the school term, NAALA meets at St Augustine’s Anglican Church, Parish Hall in Merewether. NAALA hosts a number of programmes: NAALA Kids, NAALA Senior, NAALA Burundi, NAALA Creative Arts and Junior Craft, NAALA Crèche and NAALA Dinka Classes. Each programme has its own resources and volunteer staff.
Please contact the NAALA Coordinator for more information on 4922 1500.
Friendship House
Friendship House was established in 1994 by the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches, as a Life after Prison Ministry to provide accommodation and support service for ex‑offenders leaving Cessnock Correctional Facility. Friendship House provides accommodation for up to two men at a time for up to 28 days. The volunteer role at Friendship House involves supporting the men and assisting them with their transition back into mainstream society.
Please contact the Friendship House Coordinator for more information on 4922 1500.
Stibbard Court
Margaret Stibbard Close is a six-unit complex located in Edgeworth that provides accommodation for men over the age of 55 who were homeless. It was named after the late Mrs Margaret Stibbard, wife of the Assistant Bishop of Newcastle, a tireless campaigner for people in need. The complex consists of six units housing up to eight residents. Volunteers are involved in visiting these often lonely and isolated clients.
Please contact the Stibbard Court Coordinator for more information on 4922 1500.
Grandparents as Parents Support Service (GAPS)
This service supports the increasing number of Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. These important and valuable members of our community are a marginalised group who do not fit into any specific category recognised by institutions and agencies. GAPS are grandparent/s who are full time carer/s of their grandchildren. They are in the role of primary caregivers. Although acknowledged by agencies as having specific needs the grandparents are often forced to fit into generic agency services, as there are very few tailored to meet their specific needs. Volunteers will be required to assist the Coordinator in running the GAPS programme.
Please contact the GAPS Coordinator for more information on 4957 9918.
Recycling and Op Shops
Pre-loved clothing, bric‑a‑brac and other assorted goods are collected from over 90 Samaritans collections bins, inspected and either sold or given to those in need. Donations which can not be sold due to low quality may be cut up for rag and sold as Samaritans Swipes. The surplus funds from operating the shops support other activities of Samaritans. Volunteers are able to take on a number of positions that includes assisting with the collection of clothes from bins and stores, or working in one of our nine Recycling stores carrying out retail related tasks.
Please contact the Recycling Division, Retail Coordinator for more information on 4954 7357.
Samaritans Information and Neighbourhood Centre (SINC), Cessnock
Located in Cessnock, SINC provides information, support and referral, providing a vital community link for emergency assistance and the coordination of local domestic violence and suicide prevention initiatives. Volunteers will be assisting in providing a wide range of information, referrals and other services to the local Cessnock community. Volunteers may also assist in other community projects that are located within SINC, including Click and Squiz Internet Cafe, the Tool Library and Great Strides (Movies in the Park).
Please contact the SINC Coordinator for more information on 4991 1388.
Maitland and District Mentoring Assistance Project (MADMAP)
Madmap is a mentoring project for young people aged between 9 and 18 which builds positive relationships between young people and a mentor. The aim is to empower young people through the development of new skills, building social networks and to improve young people’s perceptions and their value as individuals within their community. Madmap allows young people to engage in recreation, leisure and personal interest activities. The volunteers role as a mentor is to build a relationship with the young person, encouraging respect, sharing life experiences and supporting the young person to participate in activities, identifying their personal strengths to help make positive changes in their lives.
Please contact the MADMAP Coordinator for more information on 4934 1245.
Event Support
Samaritans stages a number of annual events to raise funds and profile, such as the Buisiness Breakfast, Collectors Care Art Exhibition, Bin Fashion 2 Fashion, Golf Day, Christmas Lunch in the Park. Volunteers are needed to help with many different roles at these events. For example: setting up, registration, selling raffle tickets, making up gift bags, catering and waiting, pack up and clean up.
Please contact the Fundraising Manager for more information on 4960 7100.
Our volunteer programme is designed around National Standards in Volunteering and we believe strongly in maintaining the rights and responsibilities of these standards.
