Living With HIV

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SUPPORT FOR WOMEN

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Volunteer Opportunities

The HIV Wellness program provides a range of structured programs, special events, social and health promotion activities for PLWH and their friends and carers.

To assist us in delivering these services we are reliant upon the support of volunteers. Volunteers can assist in a number of areas and ways:

Social Luncheon Service

There are two main areas where volunteers can get involved.

Kitchen support is around providing assistance in preparing food for meal services, serving up and with cleaning and washing up.

Volunteers who assist in the Wellness Café located on the Ground Floor at 414 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, are involved in the delivery of the meal service and can help at the client sign-in desk, welcome new clients and show them around, prepare tables, serve food to clients with special needs, and clean up afterwards. Volunteers could also help with the retrieval, unloading and storage of items delivered each week to The Larder and the kitchen from external organisations such as Oz Harvest and Foodbank.

Admin Support

The HIV Wellness Program relies on volunteers to daily assist in the delivery of Complementary Therapies to our clients. Duties include making appointments for therapies in the computerized booking system, contacting clients to remind them of future appointments, escorting clients to and from their appointments, and undertaking laundry duties (washing, drying and folding towels used during therapies). We also require the services of volunteers who hold a valid NSW drivers licence.

Complementary Therapies

We offer a wide range of complementary therapies to clients and are always looking for qualified and experienced therapists to join the team on a voluntary basis. We currently offer Bowen Technique, Acupuncture, Remedial/Swedish Massage, Lomi Lomi Massage, Reiki and Yoga. We are keen to augment these therapies with Herbalism, Naturopathy, Reflexology and others.

Gardening

The Eden Garden has opportunities for those with green and not-so-green thumbs to get their hands dirty with soil and enjoy working in the outdoors.

Condom Packing

Our volunteers do an amazing job making up hundreds of safe sex condom and lube packs for distribution to our clients at a variety of locations. In addition they make up red ribbons for the annual Red Ribbon appeal which raises much needed money for working with PLWH.

The HIV Wellness Program particularly welcomes people with HIV to join us as volunteers and to get involved in helping their peers. It's a great way to meet others, build new friendships, brush up on some old skills and perhaps even learn a few new ones.

Volunteers undergo an application process that includes external checks and screens, as well as an induction program and training where applicable.