Do you believe in what we are
doing as much as we do?
Want to volunteer?
If you would like to volunteer please read the information below.
Volunteering with Friends with Dignity
Our volunteers come from all walks of life and backgrounds. We have volunteer teams who help organise events, fundraising activities, assist with our volunteer management as well as Sanctuary Coordinators, Specialist Coordinators for linen, kitchen, bathroom, babies and laundry.
What we look for in our volunteers
- Have a can do attitude who can work as part of team. There is not a single role in Friends with Dignity that isn’t possible with the support the teams around us.
- Be realistic about the time you can commit. There are many ways to volunteer at Friends with Dignity and saying no once doesn’t mean we won’t ask you to help in another campaign or sanctuary. Volunteering should make you feel good–not add pressure to already busy lives.
- Ask for help–many hands make light work and it makes that task at hand more fun.
- Be flexible, just because you’ve volunteered for one role doesn’t mean that’s the only thing you will be asked to help with. It also means that if the role you’ve volunteered for isn’t working for you there are plenty of other ways you can help.
Most of our volunteering roles are seasonal, meaning that as requests come in, we would get in contact to see if you were available to assist for a short period of time (e.g. 7 days for a sanctuary or one afternoon for a fundraising event). Other roles such as Coordinator roles and operations support vary in time commitment but usually require at least weekly attention.
Yes, we all volunteer around our everyday lives and understand that you, as a new volunteer will need to do the same.
No, we don’t ever have any direct contact with the client. The client’s support worker acts as a liaison between the client and our organisation. We do this for a few reasons, one, we aim to provide these services ‘anonymously’ as to protect the dignity of the client and secondly so that volunteers withhold healthy boundaries for their own self care.
All requests for service whether this be for a sanctuary, an urgent request or other service are made through service providers supporting clients affected by Domestic Violence. These services being, the refuge a victim has staying at, a Domestic Violence resource service, a community based organisation supporting him/her, or a public health service.
Absolutely! Our aim is not to send volunteers in blind. You will be provided information and process information and people you can contact for assistance.
We are a little different to most charities in that we only accept donations on an as needed basis (apart from linen, kitchen items, bathroom and laundry items, curtains). Please put your name down as a potential Coordinator if you are interested in a role such as this.
There is absolutely no expectation that you purchase items out of your own pocket. We always do the very best we can and that is all we can do.
All team leaders are given a $50 gift voucher to purchase small items for the sanctuary.
Your time and contribution in regards to using your own transport is donation enough.
Absolutely, we always welcome volunteers who can coordinator ‘drives’ of items through their networks. Please get in contact with us in regards to assisting in this way and request a list of items we are currently short on. We will need to provide you an authority to collect donations on behalf of FWD. We can also provide the applicable promotional material for you to use to advertise the drive.
Yes, FWD have all the necessary insurances and public liability in place to cover our volunteers whilst they are volunteering.
I have always been someone that likes to help out in the community and give back where I can as I gained that from my parents over the years. After seeing so many reports on the TV and radio of women and men having their lives taken and the aftermath for the children left behind I thought we have to break the cycle somehow. I came across the Friends with Dignity Facebook page and saw how they help women and men with children escape domestic violence and I thought yes these kids need a new start in life with their parent and I would like to help them achieve that. So here I am.
For me the “Dignity” part of Friends with Dignity is very important. When anyone is faced with a situation they would rather choose not to be in and often having to face that situation with little or nothing to move forward with can often be and feel overwhelming. Spending a little bit of my time to help gather goods for a home, comfort packs or clothing for Friends with Dignity is an easy task in comparison. Domestic violence is a very real problem in our society and one that is often ignored for those suffering, being able to assist and help give these victims some semblance of dignity back is very rewarding.
Giving back to my community is something that has always been important to me. As a survivor of domestic violence I think it’s important to StepUp and SpeakOut. I want to be a part of ensuring what happened to me doesn’t happen to other people. The work we at Friends With Dignity means I can make a contribution to our community, support survivors of domestic and family violence take the next steps in their journey free from violence and abuse, and raise awareness so we can break the cycle of violence. Our incredible team makes it so easy to volunteer and work around my full time job. I love the people I work with and the work that we do.
I make the time to support Friends With Dignity because there’s so many reasons to say “I’m too busy” – yet assisting others to better themselves is truly important work. All children, and their parents, deserve a safe home, a comfortable bed, their own toothbrush and quality books to read. Helping people who are trying to empower themselves though Friends With Dignity is not only rewarding for all involved but also a chance to demonstrate to society that domestic violence should not be ignored. So I do what I can because I choose, to do what I can, to make a difference to the lives of others beyond my own circle. As this really is a small world we inhabit, and violence is not appropriate.
I started volunteering for Friends With Dignity after starting a feature piece on domestic violence. As I talked to others involved in the organisation, I came to realise there’s so much more to domestic violence than meets the eye. I chose to volunteer because of the inspiring stories from survivors and their heartfelt messages. My goal as a volunteer for Friends With Dignity is to explore, expose and share the depths of domestic violence. The better we understand an issue like domestic violence, the better we, as a community, can StandUp and SpeakOut to break the cycle of violence.
Registering as a volunteer
Registering as a Friends With Dignity volunteer is a simple three step process:
- Complete the Volunteer application form. If there is a particular role you would like to do, mention it in your application.
- Read and sign the Volunteer Code of Conduct. We take our code of conduct very serious and encourage you to read it carefully.
- Complete a National Police Check. The company we recommend charges $29 for volunteers and generally returns the check within 72 hours.
Make sure your scanned ID documents have be JP certified or they reject them and ask you to resubmit the documents (they don’t charge you again!).
Once you’ve completed the three steps, scan the completed copies of the Application form, signed Code of Conduct and National Police Check then return to this page and complete the form below.
Our Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch to let you know the outcome of your application and put you in touch with your team leader to get started.
Due to the nature of the work we do, please note that you will not be able to volunteer until the police check has been completed, provided to the Volunteer Coordinator and your Application has been fully processed.