Take Joe (he doesn’t want his real name used), he’s a tradie who gives up an hour a week for Wesley’s Aged Care Volunteer Visitor scheme to spend time with one of the Mission’s Peninsula Village residents, despite his elderly friend being heavily medicated for stomach cancer.
“These are the sort of touching relationships that are built and flourish through becoming a volunteer,” Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said.
“The Wesley team coordinates volunteers across the Coast to support older people through the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors scheme, and I was very honoured to join in during National Volunteer Week.”
The Visitors program, which has been running for 30 years, connects volunteers with older people in the community to address social isolation and loneliness.
Wesley Access Co-ordinator Georgina Whitfield said the minimum requirement was a visit once a fortnight, but people mostly volunteer once a week.
“It’s a lovely way to build a friendship with an older person that’s very accessible and very easy,” said Georgina, highlighting the story of Carol.
“She was living at home after her partner of many years passed away. At that time, she was experiencing loneliness, as many older people struggle with after massive life changes.
“So we introduced her to Julie, one of our volunteer visitors, and they hit it off straight away. They send me pictures, coffee at the beach, they’re the best of friends. Conditions changed for Carol, and she moved here to Peninsula Village but their friendship has continued.”
Wesley Mission is looking for more volunteer visitors and you can get involved through the website wesleymission.org.au/visitors or search “Wesley Mission volunteers”.
Volunteers are most often matched with people nearby for convenience and they are also paired for compatibility.
“Congratulations and thank you ever so much to the wonderful team from Wesley Mission, who organise an army of volunteers across the Coast,” Ms Tesch said.
“The Mission’s Peninsula Village is a fabulous age care facility in Umina and the staff there do an incredible job looking after many of our local seniors as well as some from further afield who are lucky enough to land there.”
