Volunteers
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Telefriend
Telefriend is an excellent though little-known Foundation service that has been in operation for 12 years.
What began as a pilot scheme instigated by Joy Wainwright in 1994 in the greater Wellington region has grown into a team of six volunteers who now take calls from the 03, 04 and 06 calling areas. Anyone in these areas affected by a vision impairment can call Telefriend if they are feeling lonely, isolated, just want to talk to someone, or are having difficulties.
The Telefriend volunteers also make outgoing calls - what they call "care calls" - to Foundation members when they are referred by a counsellor. This is a regular phone call to those in need of a friendly voice, to check that they are okay or just to say hello.
Family and friends of someone with a vision impairment can also ring in, as well as those who think they may be losing their sight but have not yet been assessed by a specialist. They can just talk to someone about it, or get advice and information about Foundation services.
Volunteers who work at Telefriend are members of the RNZFB and have varying degree of sight loss themselves. Before they can become a Telefriend volunteer, they are assessed by a counsellor and need to have been living with their vision impairment for at least three years. This is to ensure they've come to terms with their own sight loss and can be understanding of others going through what they have already been through.
While the Telefriend service has been aimed mainly at new members up until now, the Foundation would like to expand awareness of Telefriend so that current members can also take advantage of the service. It is hoped that in the future the 07 and 09 calling areas will be covered, ensuring everyone in the country will be able to call the 0800 Telefriend number. All calls are covered by the Telefriend code of practice, guaranteeing total confidentiality.
So if you are in the 03, 04 and 06 calling areas, pick up the phone and call 0800 100 051 to make a new friend. The Telefriend team are available from Monday to Friday 1-4 pm and look forward to your call.
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A little help goes a long way
Volunteers are absolutely essential to the Foundation - we literally wouldn't survive without them. Around 2,000 regular volunteers and over 10,000 at appeal times help the Foundation achieve its goal of enabling members to live independent and fulfilling lives.
Graeme Skipper is a regular volunteer at appeal times. As a Scout leader, he helps get more feet on the street to rattle the bucket. "It's part of making a contribution to a greater goal," says Graeme. "The children learn not only to work as a team but also the value of helping others. Through collecting we sprinkle a little sunshine into people's lives; those who the money raised goes to help and those that we interact with on the street. Each year a guide dog user or blind or vision-impaired person comes to talk to our group about blindness. This educates the kids and gives them a sense of purpose and meaning when collecting."
But don't think only young people volunteer at the Foundation, just ask Foundation member and volunteer Clarice Anderson of Waipukurau. At 83 years young and after 35 years of volunteering she's still going strong."I've always been concerned with people feeling or being left out of things, and if your sight isn't good then it's too easy to become isolated," says Clarice. She organises the delivery and maintenance of talking book machines, is on her local Community Committee and organises regular social afternoons for VIPs. "Some might think VIP stands for vision-impaired people, but it us it means Very Important People!"
"Age doesn't mean that you stop learning or enjoying company. We have a chat and a laugh." Volunteering is a great way of giving something back to your community - long term or short term, interacting with members or working independently, two hours a week or two days a year - there's something for everyone!
And with Blind Week coming up it's a great way to start your volunteering career. Make it a competition at work - see who can bring in the most volunteers. How about a catch-up with friends - a great excuse for a cooked breakfast afterwards. Or even a different way to exercise - pound the pavement with collection buckets instead of hand weights!
To find out more about other ways to volunteer please call 0800 24 33 33 to talk to the Volunteer Services Co-ordinator in your area. Call 0800 002 345 to talk to your local fundraiser about being a Blind Week collector.