RehabCare Seeks Volunteers in Dundalk
RehabCare is looking for new volunteers for its services on the Coes Road and in Carroll Village, Dundalk. RehabCare assists people with disabilities to achieve their full potential and aims to enhance their quality of life through person-centred health and social care activities.
In Dundalk, RehabCare provides day services, five days per week, designed to enable people to develop their independent living skills and to become active members of their local communities. Core activities are personal development, social and leisure occupations, community participation, independent living and education, training and part-time work. It is up to the person to decide on their activity and a lot of thought goes into person-centred plans to enable people to achieve their goals, whether that is learning computer skills or joining a drama group.
Deirdre Quinn, Manager of RehabCare on the Coes Road comments: ‘Additional volunteers would be a great asset to the service as it would enable many more people to achieve their personal goals. In particular, we are looking for volunteers skilled in computers, cookery, photography, crafts, gardening and woodwork. If you have one of these skills and you have a couple of free hours a week, we would love to hear from you.’
Niamh Quigley is a volunteer with RehabCare in Dundalk. She provides help with literacy classes one morning a week. Talking about her experience, she says: ‘I began volunteering at RehabCare approximately eight months ago. I chose to do this for many reasons – I am studying social care at college and wanted to gain some experience of working with people who have learning disabilities. Previous to volunteering in RehabCare, I had never before worked with adults with or without learning disabilities in a social care setting. I feel that I have gained a lot from RehabCare because, for the time I have been there, I have formed and developed friendships with both the people I help and the staff. I feel they are two-way relationships as I certainly gain a lot from volunteering in RehabCare and I hope that my being there is of benefit to them.’
RehabCare, the health and social care division of the Rehab Group, operates a wide variety of programmes which reach into communities the length and breadth of Ireland. Each year, some 3,000 people avail of these services which range from resource centre activities to care work delivered in people’s homes.
For information on volunteering with RehabCare, please contact Deirdre Quinn at 042 933 4726 or Caitlín McKinley at 042 932 8766.
Monday, 14th April 2008
ENDS
For further information:
Deirdre Quinn, RehabCare, Coes Road
Tel: 042 933 4726
Email: rcswdundalk@rehabcare.ie
Caitlín McKinley, RehabCare, Dundalk House, Carroll Village, Church Street
Tel: 042 932 8766
Email: dundalk@rehabcare.ie
Tess Tattersall, Communications & Public Affairs Team, Rehab
Tel: 01 205 7260/086 8722 509
Email: tesss.tattersall@rehab.ie
