NCJWA Caring Mums expands seeks volunteers.
Melbourne’s Caring Mums program run by the NCJWA is expanding its activities to the city’s northern suburbs.
Following its success in the south-eastern suburbs, pregnant women and new mums in the north of the city will soon be able to access the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (Vic) Caring Mums program, with thanks to a community grant from the City of Yarra. Training of eligible volunteers will get underway in February. Compassionate women who have experienced motherhood themselves and are able to volunteer in the suburbs of Yarra are being sought to train as volunteers and provide one-on-one emotional support.
The Caring Mums program is at the coal face of emotional support locally for women in the Cities of Glen Eira, Port Phillip, Bayside and parts of Kingston and Monash and in 2014 NCJWA(Vic) was awarded a Victorian Multicultural Commission Excellence Award for the delivery of the program. Since 2011 more that 120 women from over 30 ethnicities have been supported by the free, non-denominational program.
Caring Mums Coordinator Michelle Kornberg said, “We are delighted to bring the program to pregnant and new mums in the City of Yarra. While the birth of a new baby may be seen as a treasured gift, the reality for a great number of women is often very different. Our view is that no woman should ever feel alone in her journey of motherhood.”
With people on the move more than ever, demand for the program continues to grow with more mothers becoming isolated from their families and cultures due to distance and family breakdown. Through regular visits by trained and matched Caring Mums volunteers, new mothers receive a much-needed connection, a shoulder-to-lean-on and a non-judgmental ear.
Referrals come from local health professionals including maternal child health nurses, mother-baby units, PANDA (Post Ante Natal Depression Association), Child First, doctors, pediatricians and psychologists. Mothers are also able to self-refer.
From a mum who recently completed the program: “I joined the program and I was matched with a fantastic volunteer mum, who besides being a mother of two, is an immigrant herself so she fully understood the feelings and emotions that come with leaving your homeland and family behind. We truly bonded perfectly and she became a vital part of my motherhood journey. It was a comfort for me to know that she was there for me, because sometimes even the simplest question or unresolved doubt can make your day a nightmare.”
The program is proudly supported by the Fouress Foundation and the cities of Yarra, Bayside and Port Phillip.
Seeking eligible volunteers
Applications expressing interest in volunteering are available from Caring Mums by phone or email and must be completed and received by Thursday 6 February. Training for the Yarra program will begin on Friday 27 February for five consecutive Fridays, 10am-2pm. Trained volunteers commit to visiting with her allocated mum weekly for approximately 2 hours per week and up to 12 months. (Additional supervision & training time applies).
A Yarra Caring Mums information session will be held on Friday February 13 at 10am at NCJWA (Vic) Eva Besen Centre, 131-133 Hawthorn Road Caulfield.
Further information Ph: 9044 5405 or e: [email protected]
Website:. www.ncjwavic.org.au/caringmums
This is so great! Congrats to all involved. I spent 10 years as a La Leche League family counsellor in rural Vic and have 30 yrs experience as a lactation counsellor/nutritionist, so know just how important such programmes are, in Australia.