Volunteers at Agenzija Appogg may offer their contribution to various services, two of which are Supportline 179 and Programm Ulied Darna. The volunteers are people of different ages and different backgrounds; they all come together with one common aim, to help others. They value voluntary work as they do precious work without expecting anything in return. At present there are around 130 volunteers who give their time within the mentioned services. Yet, more are needed in order to continue giving and expand an excellent support service to children, adults and families in need.
Supportline 179
Supportline 179 is a helpline service reaching a vast target audience - whether you are a child, a teenager, an adult or an elderly person. At Supportline 179 you will find a volunteer who is professionally trained who will listen to your concerns, who will not judge you, and who can give you support and information about existent social services. Between January and December 2012, Supportline 179 registered 16,677 calls from people with different backgrounds and various presenting problems.
Recently a concerned adult called Supportline179 to report suspected child abuse by a family in his neighbourhood. The volunteer listened to the caller and requested further information, such as how he knows that these children are being physically abused. It was reported that the parents are often heard shouting and the children are heard crying and pleading not to be hit. The caller also explained that the eldest child is often seen with bruises all over the face and arms. On another occasion the caller also noticed marks that seemed like cigarette burns. The caller explained that other neighbours are concerned about these children too, but they are afraid to report as they fear repercussions. In this case, the volunteer at Supportline 179 required the details of the children, such as their names and address. The volunteer filled up a referral form while also enquired whether the children were in any imminent risk and whether they needed immediate intervention. All this was necessary in order for the volunteer to be able to make the necessary reports and this led for proper action to be taken in order to safeguard the best interests of these children. While encouraging the caller to stay in touch in the future with any updated information about the case, the volunteer also assured the caller that all reports are treated in a confidential manner.
A woman phoned Supportline 179 crying hysterically and explained to the Supportline 179 volunteer that she had just been physically abused by her partner. She managed to make the call after locking herself in a room with her children, away from her abuser. The volunteer, after calming the caller, enquired about her location and ensured that she was safe. The volunteer immediately contacted the Police for their assistance. The caller was not left alone in such a vulnerable state. The volunteer was there to support her throughout and stayed on the line until the Police got there. It was decided that it is not safe for the caller and her children to remain at home. Therefore, the Supportline 179 volunteer made contact with local emergency shelters in order to find a shelter for the woman and her children. The caller was also guided to visit a doctor since she was physically abused. After the initial contact with the Supportline 179 service, the caller was eventually offered support from the shelter’s social workers and thus addressed her situation.
An 89 year old woman phoned Supportline 179 as she felt lonely. She explained to the volunteer taking her call that she felt helpless, as if she was waiting for her time to end as her health was deteriorating and she had nothing to occupy her time with throughout the day. She spoke with the volunteer for some time, explaining that she has seven children, three of whom live abroad and the other four live in Malta. However, she told the volunteer, they all have their family and she feels that she is a burden on them. Thus she does not tell her children that she feels sad as she does not want to put more pressure on them, finding solace only when she phones Supportline 179. The volunteer listened and empathised with the caller and explored with her the services that are present in the community and that the caller can benefit from, such as attending a day centre so she does not spend all the day alone. The volunteer’s empathy and suggestions empowered the caller and she promised to access such community services, while also accepting the volunteer’s invite to call again when she feels the need.
The above are just a few stories or people who have benefited in some way thanks to the service and contribution given by Supportline 179 volunteers. These people called at a time when they needed help and they found a committed volunteer who could listen and assist them.
Programm Ulied Darna
Programm Ulied Darna offers practical support to families who are already being followed by professionals from any service within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, but need further support due to their difficult social situations.
Maria is a mother of 5 children, who just came out of an abusive relationship from her husband, and is trying to rebuild her life. However, she is facing various difficulties, including financial limitations. She is constantly feeling exhausted and many times finds it difficult to cope with the children’s upbringing. She ends up either shouting continuously at them or giving up to their requests in order to avoid any tantrums from her young children. At the same time, she has to deal with court sessions and with building her self esteem after being submitted to years of abuse. Her partner had hammered continuously that she is a failure and that she is not capable of taking care of the children or the house.
In the above situation the volunteer would assist Maria by conducting home visits and spending some hours with the mother listening to her worries, empowering her to build her self esteem and assisting her in parenting and budgeting skills in a practical manner. Between January and December 2012, there were over 200 families who benefited from this service.
There are volunteers within Programm Ulied Darna who also carry out child--minding sessions and transportation service. There are situations whereby children and adolescents would benefit from psychological sessions or some outdoor activity, however unfortunately they would have no one to take them for these sessions. Volunteers within Programm Ulied Darna can offer their time by accompanying the children for the required sessions.
Skills and qualities needed
It is essential that whoever wants to join our team of volunteers within these two services has to enter such journey with responsibility and commitment. Prospective volunteers must be able to develop skills including those of being non-judgemental, accepting, and respect confidentiality, amongst other principles that are fundamental in both services. Applicants should be over 21 years of age. Applicants interested in volunteering with Supportline 179 should preferably be computer literate.
Persons who want to be part of these services have to be ready to undergo a recruitment process. An individual and group interview will be held. Those chosen will undergo twelve intensive training sessions, which are held once a week. Volunteers will have to be committed to attend individual supervision sessions, support groups and continuous training that will take place once volunteers start their voluntary work. All this is to ensure a high-quality service to our service users. Professional staff is available during office hours and a supervisor is available on call after office hours, to whom volunteers can refer to.
"I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." (Edward Everett)
I invite people reading this article to stop and reflect on the difference they can make in someone else’s life and in their life by being there for other persons who require support.
We encourage persons who are interested in becoming volunteers with Supportline 179 or Programm Ulied Darna to visit www.appogg.gov.mt for more information, or else call on 2295 9000 during office hours. Readers are also encouraged to visit and Like! our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/VolunteeringatFSWS. Deadline for applications is 2nd September 2013.
Catriona Spiteri
Social Worker, Supportline 179 and Programm Ulied Darna, Agenzija Appogg
Agenzija Appogg is part of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (www.fsws.gov.mt) that also incorporates Agenzija Sapport (www.sapport.gov.mt) and Agenzija Sedqa (www.sedqa.gov.mt).