Home-Start Omagh District
There for parents when they need us most, because childhood can't wait
Volunteer Testimonials
Here is a selection of testimonials from volunteers supporting Home-Start Omagh District.
I have been a volunteer with Home-Start Omagh District for more than 3 years. Although the four families I have supported during that time have been very different, in many ways the issue they face is very much the same in that they are all struggling with the difficult demands of bringing up a young family. In many cases, these demands also go hand in hand with dealing with a lack of money, coping with the break-up of relationships, post-natal depression and feelings of isolation. A parent can feel overwhelmed and feel that there is no one that they can turn to.
When I first began as a volunteer, I wondered how I could be of assistance to any family, but my Home-Start preparation course gave me a good basis from which to start. In this training, I learned to be non-judgemental, to really listen and to recall how things were for me when I was struggling as a mum with a young family.
As it turned out, these are all the skills I needed to be empathetic, taking the time to listen to someone and to provide some practical help, like playing with the children while mum gets some long overdue rest. In the words of another volunteer who once said, “I didn’t realise how so little could mean so much!”
I have found my volunteering with Home-Start Omagh to be very rewarding. Although I only give a little of my time each week, this has meant so much to the families I have supported. The co-ordinator is always on hand to provide a listening ear for me and as we are a team of volunteers, we meet up from time to time for peer support and also to socialise! As well as my time as a Home-Start volunteer
Becoming a Home-Start volunteer has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. It has also been one of the most satisfying and rewarding roles I have undertaken.
As a wife and stay-at-home mum, I believe I have acquired the skills and experiences to support Home-Start families. I am blessed with a very happy and loving home environment with happy healthy children (now adults), but with little or no support network. There were times when I would have given anything to see a friendly face to give advice or simply to offer reassurance that I was doing a good job, or just to give me breathing space.
Being able to offer this support, which I did not have, to other families gives me great satisfaction. I love the wee smiles and tight hugs I get from the children as I arrive, being a listening ear for a parent, doing fun activities with the children or giving mum/dad “me time”.
If sharing my time and experiences can help improve the lives of other families, then I am privileged and honoured to be a Home-Start volunteer.
I became involved with Homestart as a Volunteer when it first came to Omagh over 25 years ago. That first preparation course was amazing! I loved everything about it. It opened up a whole new world for me and I learnt so much from different speakers, as well as from the rest of the ladies on the course.
When it was time to be placed with my first family it was a daunting experience. Even now meeting new families for the first time is still daunting but well worth it! Although I’m not sure exactly how many families I have supported being Home-Start volunteer over the last 25 years, I do know I love volunteering and it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
Down through the years it is the families I’ve supported that have taught ME so much! Things like, how they can do so much with maybe having so little, or how, maybe on their worst day, they still made it out of bed to face the day when it would have been much easier to pull the duvet over their heads and stay put! They say it’s better to give than to receive, but it’s in giving that we receive, and I have received so much from being a Home-Start Volunteer.
Ann D, volunteer for 25 years
Home-Start provide such a valuable support to parents, and this has continued during an incredibly challenging and isolating year for many parents. This type of support is so needed by families in this area and helps professionals ensure that families receive a rounded package of support. I regularly recommend this service to others and would hope to see it continue and continue to be invested in as a much-needed support to families in the local area.
This is the reason why I think it’s worthwhile. I got this text from the mum I support saying “I really have appreciated your help. You’ve made my mad house feel under control” (that’s just part of the text.) Isn’t that a lovely reason to be with Home-Start?
I’ve been a volunteer for about 8 years now and I’ve supported lots of different families in that time. I took a break after my husband passed away but decided to return because I wanted the opportunity to help families. It’s great to get out and meet other parents, to build a relationship with them and their children, and to be of benefit to them. I feel that I’m able to learn something from all the families I’ve supported and hopefully they have learnt something from me. In fact, some of the conversations with the mum that I’m supporting at the minute have really made me think about different aspects of my own life, so I feel that I’m getting lots of good benefits as well.
I really enjoyed the volunteer training course and felt it was perfect for me as we talked a lot about the different issues faced by families. The first family I was matched with were ideal…we had a lot in common and it was lovely to be needed and appreciated by the mum.
I’m now with my second family and they are very different from my first Home-Start family. It’s just like we discussed during the training…every family is different, and I feel very well supported in being able to support any family I’m matched with. I’m looking forward to getting to know my new family.
