Volunteer

Our volunteer Companions make a difference in the lives of a multitude of mothers and children, one family at a time.

Volunteers make this program possible, their contribution is so much more than their time, and it is their very essence that they give.

The support provided by volunteers begins with working toward a safe and healthy delivery. Birth Companion volunteers assist clients in accessing prenatal health care and nutrition, provide information to reduce the risk of low birth weight babies, and promote healthy pregnancy/lifestyle choices. Birth Companion volunteers are then on call 24 hours a day for their clients and stay with their clients throughout the entire birth. Labour support has been shown to reduce the number of interventions during childbirth and increase maternal infant bonding and attachment. As a result, the caesarean rate for our clients is nearly 50% lower than the regional average, and the rates of other interventions are also well below average. The support volunteers offer has also led to a sharp increase in breastfeeding initiation and prolonged breastfeeding, a key factor to long term child growth and development.

After the birth, Birth Companion and Parent Companion volunteers work with clients to translate needs into opportunities.  Developing links to the community, and a network within it, allows otherwise isolated young families to fully integrate into the community to the benefit of both.

Working towards community integration and self sufficiency, Parent Companion volunteers assist clients in developing short and long term goals that will positively impact their family’s future. Volunteers may assist in securing safe and adequate housing, accessing positive parenting information and support, pursuing of further education and training, answering questions on infant growth and development and modeling positive parenting. Parent Companion volunteers may stay with clients for between 6 months and 2 years depending on need, and each match is uniquely tailored to that client’s specific needs.

Birth Companion Volunteers spent on average, 30 hours with each client, and Parent Companions shared 144 hours with their matches. 

In total, our volunteers spent 4,581 hours supporting this program in 2005.

Birth Companion Volunteer Information (click for PDF)

Parent Companion Volunteer Information (click for PDF)

Volunteer Application (click for PDF)

For more information about volunteering as a companion, or to find out about other volunteer roles, please contact Gillian Sippert: gill@mothercraft.com or 613-728-1839 x227.