Open House is a small Christian charity organisation that has been serving the community for over 50 years. As a not for profit organisation, we depend on volunteers to help us in the delivery of our services.

We seek volunteers who are caring, friendly and committed to our mission of giving long-term friendship and support to young people and adults in our community, particularly those who are disadvantaged or socially isolated.

We are looking for volunteers for our Home Visitation Program. For some people this is their only social interaction during the week, so this is a crucial community service, and our amazing volunteers are truly at the heart of making this possible.

The Home Visitation Program

This Program aims to support people who are facing social isolation and helps them to stay connected to their community, and may include regular home visits, social outings, peer support and social phone calls.

The Position

Our volunteers are matched with participants based on interests, personality, and values. For this Program all volunteers work in pairs and are provided training and support.

Activities may include:

• Outings to cafes, galleries, or other places of interest
• Taking part in community interest groups
• Going for a walk
• In-home visits
• A regular social chat on the phone
• Visit to participants at the hospital or other facility
• Accompaniment to the doctor, dentist, or other medical appointments
• Accompaniment to appointments at Human Services, banks, other organisations

This Program is well suited to people who are:

• Empathetic and compassionate
• Have good communication skills, especially active listening
• Patient, observant, and an effective bystander
• Comfortable when confronted with emotions
• Sensitive and understanding around issues of cultural diversity
• Respectful of an individual’s privacy and boundaries