Volunteering at Lou’s
Our wonderful volunteers are our lifeblood.
They give their time, skills and energy so we can provide the best possible service to women in need.
Their invaluable contribution helps create a warm, home-like atmosphere at Lou's Place.
They provide us with a crucial network of supporters and resources.
They build a bridge to the wider community.
They enable us to offer a wide range of services and specialist programs.
Their work helps minimise our running costs.
And they make Lou's Place unique.
Specialist volunteers co-ordinate creative expression activities for our clients such as Art, Music, Jewellery, Sewing, Yoga, and more.
Kitchen volunteers prepare and cook a delicious lunch Monday to Friday.
Clothing volunteers help out in our pop-up boutique held twice a month.
Workshops are held to provide skills and education in different areas such as health, resume writing, interview skills, gambling issues, and more.
Behind the Scenes volunteers in addition to basic administrative and cleaning help are also involved with marketing, social media management and web development.
On being a volunteer...
“Lou's Place is a great place to volunteer. The work they do to support these women is nothing short of amazing! I'm glad I can be part of assisting with that!"
- THARNI
“To feel uplifted after spending time with women in need is such a gift, such a privilege. This is how it is at Lou's. To witness the direct benefits of a welcoming place on the lives of women in need is extraordinary. I'm constantly humbled and reminded of the fine line that separates us all. I'm reminded of the basic premise of humanity and for that I am very grateful."
- BEC
Qualities of the Volunteer
The following qualities are seen as important to help build a relationship of trust and safety:
Congruence – being genuine, integrated and a whole person.
Empathy – relating to the clients so that they feel they are being heard. There is a difference between empathy and sympathy.
Unconditional positive regard – accepting the client non-judgementally as a person of value, regardless of her strengths and weaknesses
Neutrality – bracketing of one’s own views, biases or prejudices.
Use of appropriate humour – humour can break down barriers and build rapport.
Reliability and consistency – this enables trust and helps to strengthen the programs that we provide.
Volunteers must maintain professional boundaries with clients. Clients are not friends or confidants. It is not appropriate to reveal personal information to clients. It is not appropriate to physically touch clients.
Volunteering at Plunkett Street Community Playgroup
The Plunkett Street Community Playgroup was launched in October 2013: a supported playgroup developed in partnership with the Plunkett Street Public School for parents/carers and their children, aged 0 -5 years, in the Woolloomooloo area. The group runs Thursday mornings from 9:30-11:30am during school term and is facilitated by a pre-school teacher and also offers opportunities for volunteers.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please contact us on volunteering@lousplace.com.au. You can also "like" us on Facebook to check for advertised volunteer positions.
We rely on our volunteers and the work they do. Without them we would not be able to offer the unique variety of support and classes that we do.
We appreciate the way they make Lou's a warm and friendly place.
Our volunteers are rostered to make a regular commitment to Lou’s Place. That commitment can be anywhere from once a week to once a month. This regularity and dependability is essential for Lou's Place to run smoothly. Both our clients and volunteers benefit hugely from regular contact. We currently have more than 100 volunteers on our roster.
Before going on our roster, all volunteers do a training session run by our staff and Volunteer Chair to familiarise them with our operations and procedures. We also require a standard police check, a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and a signed agreement form between The Marmalade Foundation (which runs Lou’s Place) and each new volunteer.
Kitchen volunteers: Two cooks are rostered on each day, Monday to Friday, from 10am to 1:30pm. They prepare and cook lunch which is served at 12.30pm.
Specialist volunteers come in every week or fortnight to co-ordinate a specific activity for our clients. We offer many regular activities such as art, sewing, karaoke, meditation, jewellery-making, hairdressing and yoga. Our one-off activities are popular too - pamper days, DIY home repair workshops and drumming workshops to name a few.
Clothing volunteers help out in our pop-up boutique which is held twice a month.
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Bec Fitzpatrick, Chair of Volunteers