Volunteer Program
Lou’s Place wouldn’t be the successful Sydney charity it is without the commitment of our volunteers who give their time, skills and expertise.
There are usually over 50 volunteers on the roster. Most come in on a weekly basis, some come fortnightly, and some fill in on school holidays or if another volunteer is away. A regular commitment is essential to the smooth running of Lou’s, and both the clients and the volunteers themselves benefit hugely from regular contact.
There are three types of volunteer: kitchen, general and specialist.
Kitchen: Two cooks are rostered on daily in a shift that usually runs from 10-2, and they whip up a delicious, nutritious lunch that is served at 12.30 daily. Lunch is a highlight for most clients, and often their only food source for the day. The food is partly donated, partly ordered in, but always revolves around fresh meat and vegetables. Our kitchen volunteers are also required to make sure the kitchen is clean before they leave, stacking the dishwasher, wiping down benches, the stove top and the oven. Time permitting we also ask our volunteers to make sure the fridge is clean.
Generalist volunteers come in once a week or once a fortnight and help with a wide variety of tasks – helping sort and serve in the clothing room, assisting a specialist volunteer with an activity, helping out in the office with basic admin tasks, or just sitting down with a cup of coffee and chatting with the clients, or even baking a batch of muffins.
Specialist volunteers are those who come in, usually weekly, to co-ordinate a specific activity for the clients. The activities vary according to the skills of the volunteers at any time, but the favourites are art, sewing, creative writing, photography and meditation. We are always open to new ideas! Special one-off activities are very popular – a day of haircuts, for example, when a hairdresser offers her time, or manicures and pedicures, or an outing to the beach or an art gallery.
