Tullamore charity volunteer appeal could lead to great friendship

The Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary Services in Offaly are appealing for people to volunteer in its unique 'Best Buddy' programme, which supports adults with intellectual disabilities. The Tullamore/Clara Adult Day Services Centre, based in the Tanyard Resource Centre in Tullamore, has been running for ten years and provides a service to people with intellectual disabilities to help them lead a more independent and fulfilling life by becoming more immersed in the local community. 'The rewards of having our volunteer programme can result in individuals attending evening courses, availing of support to attend social activities and the ever-important aspect of having a friendly, voluntary support,' said Donna Quinn, the manager of the Tullamore/Clara Adult Day Services Centre. The majority of service users attend the centres at the Tanyard or Kilbride Street and also the Marian pre-schools in High Street and the Arden Road. 'We have a huge adult population and we"d love to have a lot more people on the Best Buddy programme. It"s the one programme that service users identify with,' said Gerry McLoughlin, the Best Buddy Programmes Manager of the SCJM and a volunteer himself. 'We"re looking for people who are willing to listen, who are friendly and caring,' said Gerry. 'There"s no formal interview, what I want to know is what can you bring to the service?' Best Buddy volunteers help service users in the simplest of ways. From spending one hour a week just visiting a person for a chat, to helping someone improve their IT skills, there are many ways in which the programme helps the pair form a bond. Other activities that are popular is arts and crafts, letter-writing, going to the pub or to a football match, playing music or getting your hair done. Volunteers can help a person do the grocery shopping or even just drive them to a weekly course they"re attending. The success of the Best Buddy programme lies behind the volunteers" dedication and ideally, people should be able to commit to at least a six month period. They can then give as much time as they want, anything from one hour to three hours every week or month. 'Some volunteers have been doing it for five or six years. It does end up crossing the line from volunteer to friend, which is a sign of its success. It"s really, really worthwhile. Even if the service user only wants a buddy to bring them for a coffee, it means so much to them,' said Gerry. The majority of people who volunteer for the Best Buddy programme are woman in their 40s and 50s, something that Gerry would love to see change. 'We need more men involved,' he said. 'Out of the 160 volunteers in the adult programme, the vast majority, about 80%, are female in their 30s to 60s. One woman is 88! The men who have joined have been fantastic and we do need them for the gender match.' Before becoming a volunteer, there is a set application process to go through. Gerry will meet with every applicant to discuss the programme in more detail, and make sure that the person is willing to commit to the programme. There are other more formal procedures as well including garda clearance/international clearance, health and safety training and learning about abuse guidelines. Gerry said the new volunteer then becomes part of a team. 'There is no distinction between staff and volunteers. That"s why our volunteers stay so long, we know how to thank them.' 'If you are currently finding yourself with free available time and feel that you have skills or talent in a specific area, or would just like to offer basic friendship, please consider this very worthwhile and rewarding volunteer programme,' said Donna. If you"d like to find out more about volunteering with the SCJMS on the Best Buddy programme, or the alternative volunteer opportunities, contact Gerry on 087 8059667 or email gerry.mclaughlin@scjms.ie. He"s based in the SCJMS/Muiriosa Foundation Community Office in Mullingar.