This is Jan – one of Camrose’s long standing volunteers, maybe the longest! Jan is here every Tuesday and makes endless cups of tea, pieces of toast & spends many hours listening to our clients.
How long have you been volunteering at Camrose?
I have been volunteering with Camrose since it started in Vyne Road in 2009. Prior to this I was volunteering with other agencies who were helping the homeless. I enjoy the company and I’ve made a lot of friends.
How did you come to the point where you wanted to volunteer with the homeless?
I was first prompted to volunteer following a film I watched when my children were little called ‘Cathy Come Home’ and I have never forgotten it. The scene that stuck with me was that of a mother sitting on a railway station with her two children and nowhere to go. So it’s just something that I’ve been interested in for many years and I love coming here because it’s very rewarding. It can be very difficult but it’s so rewarding and it does make you appreciate that you can fit what you really need into a bag and helps you to be able to reach out to other people.
It makes me very thankful for my own situation and that of my children having a roof over our heads.
What are the challenges of volunteering, if any?
I always wish I could do more – that’s the biggest challenge I can think of.
If you could describe The Camrose Centre in three words what would they be?
Welcoming. A Privilege (to be here). Friendly.
