Marcel and Sabina for Home start
Marcel and Sabina for Home start
Home-start is a very nice organization where volunteers support parents in raising their children. Every parent has questions about parenting or about everyday things that you encounter. The volunteers at Home-start are there to lend a hand.
So is volunteer Marcel. Marcel has been working as a volunteer at Home-start since September. He previously worked as an IT specialist, but after the death of his wife he decided to change course. Ten years ago, work in the care sector was already a little stimulating, but now he has taken the plunge. His first approach was to have a paid job in care in addition to his Social Work study. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find paid work in care without the necessary diplomas. So he went to see what else was possible and Home-start came his way.
“A fun way to gain experience”
The work as a volunteer at Home-start fits in well with Marcel's training. During his studies, Marcel has to differentiate himself for a certain direction, but he is not quite sure yet which direction is the right one for him. He does know one thing, youth care and care for the elderly do not suit him. What he does like is the specialization in society and well-being. The great thing is that voluntary work at Home-start has similarities with social work. Marcel really enjoys being able to gain experience in this way.
“No two families are the same”
Meanwhile, Marcel is a volunteer with two families in Rotterdam, where he visits once a week. The families he guides are very diverse. That is also the right word to describe the families that are registered with Home-start. No family is the same. You see differences in family composition, the request for help, and cultural background. For each family, a good match is sought with a volunteer who has the same interests or hobbies and/or who will click well with each other in terms of character. For example, Marcel uses his knowledge of Marktplaats to help a mother sell surplus items online. And has he re-attached a hanging coat rack to a wall, because the mother has a muscle disease and cannot do this herself. Marcel gets a lot of appreciation for that too, very nice!
“You can see them blooming again”
That's what's great about Home-start, says Sabina, coordinator at Home-start. In addition to offering families, in practice often the mother, a listening ear, we also offer practical support and a little friendship. They especially like the fact that they can tell their story to someone. In addition, we also provide a bit of empowerment. But the mother's request for help remains leading. After the year-long trajectory you see that mothers have more self-confidence and want to start doing things again. Also very nice to see is the gratitude of the mothers. You see them bloom again. And as a thank you, an African mother recently bought a small cake, that is really super sweet.
“Parenting experience not required”
As a coordinator at Home-start, Sabina recruits volunteers, gives training, makes home visits and ultimately makes the connection between the volunteer and the family. She says that in addition to the fact that the families at Home-start are very diverse, the volunteers also come in all shapes and sizes, from interns to people over 70. If you want to work as a volunteer at Home-start, no parenting experience is required. You may have babysitting experience or experience with community center work. It is important that you really enjoy working with families and that you enjoy helping others. You just have to enjoy doing something for someone else and supporting families with children. And they really want to give the time and attention. In addition, there is an annual outing that is organized for the volunteers (unfortunately because of Corona), a Christmas drink and fun themed meetings to promote expertise. And of course a nice team of coordinators who can support you!
Have you become enthusiastic and do you also want to work as a volunteer at Home-start, you can register immediately via the link below!
John helps them on their way
John helps them on their way John gives them another goal in life John worked within the prison walls for 15 years. His biggest pain point; the number of ex-prisoners who return within the walls after being free. '1 of the 2 prisoners who are allowed to go out, come back through the other door' John says. The ex-prisoners end up on the street without guidance, financial means or a prospect. What they do get when they leave prison is a very big stamp on their head. 'I believe that everyone who is there certainly deserves to be there, but they also certainly deserve to come back into society.' But how? 6 years ago, John and a colleague from prison came up with something about this, the Goal foundation was the result. At the Goal Foundation, they combined their mission to prevent ex-prisoners from returning to prison with their passion for football. The football world was familiar territory for John, who himself has also been a professional football player at Excelsior, among others. THE PRISONS HAVE A LOT OF TALENT What does the Goal Foundation do? 'The prisons contain a lot of talent that, with the right guidance, can be invaluable for Dutch football, both on and off the field.' How do we find that talent and how do we deploy that talent? The 'Scoring with talent' project was the solution to this question. Scouting along the field became scouting along the field but within the walls. Talents were noticed and forwarded. That's how John came into contact with them. Even before anyone was released, there was a plan of action on how these boys would be cared for when they left prison. And when the day came when the doors to a new world opened for them, they weren't alone. John gives the example of one of the participants. He was released on November 7. On that day John stood at the gate to escort him. They had a cup of coffee together and he took it home. On November 9, he had his first day at work. He got a job at a courier company. Thanks to great collaborations, the Goal Foundation ensures that the participants in the program can get started right away and rebuild their future. But not only work is considered. The program focuses on the six areas of life, including social contact. To realize this, the boys start working for a football club as volunteers. A win-win situation for the football clubs and program participants, because extra hands are always needed at an association. 'It's great to see those guys like this' Why are you doing this? When we ask John why he is doing this, a big gray appears on his face. 'The smile on their face, of course!' he shouts enthusiastically. "It's so nice to see someone enjoying life again, it's great to see those guys like this." At the Goal Foundation, we believe that everyone has a talent. 'Scoring with talent, because everyone has talent. Let's use that. That's the coolest thing there is. I try to find out about everyone's talent and create something for it. † New projects Creating new projects goes well with the Goal Foundation. In addition to programs for ex-prisoners, they also have the ambition to use their passion for football and collaborations with football clubs for low-literate people and people who have ended up in social isolation. There are also great opportunities for them. A chat can mean all the world to these people, they can also work at clubs. The Goal Foundation's largest project is to finance and renovate a residence for ex-prisoners from where they can pick up their lives again. 'But we really want this to be a place for everyone, a kind of community center where everyone can go.' What can they use help with? They can of course use help to realize these beautiful projects. While in the first instance they can pick up all ex-prisoners at the gate themselves, the foundation is growing so fast that they are now able to work hard with a close-knit team of 20 volunteers. You too can help! Whether you have a pedagogical background and can work as a supervisor or another talent that you can use at the Goal Foundation. The Goal Foundation ensures that every talent is deployed in the right place. Will you help to continue the mission of the Goal Foundation and set up all the wonderful new projects? See what you can do or send a message which talent you want to use at the foundation. Click here to go to the Goal Foundation page! Share these stories and inspire others to help too! Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Whatsapp Forward
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