Hello, my name is Rachel and I'm a Domestic Violence Safety Planner at Hestia. I first began volunteering for Hestia in a Covid-19 Crisis role, dropping off food and medication to shielding service users. As lockdown eased, I was asked to volunteer for the Hestia Summer Play scheme, helping to create fun filled memories for children in our domestic abuse refuges across London.
I was soon employed as a Refuge Support Worker, providing person centered support in relation to homelessness, mental health, employment, benefits, training and education. I also ran my own summer play scheme and supervised volunteers with the Family Support worker keeping children engaged, helping them to develop their relationships and make friends.
For one event, we took the children to the seaside, had fish and chips and ice-cream on the beach, and took them to play in the arcade. It was quite different from the intense day-to-day work that we usually do, but amazing to see such a positive impact so quickly.
My current role is so rewarding; it requires ‘all hands on deck’ to run smoothly, and it really is wonderful to be part of the services that entwine with one another behind the scenes to support service users.
Hestia has propelled me into a career I would never have thought of otherwise - you work alongside like-minded, beautiful souls, who work towards the goal of helping others, where everyone tries to lift one another up.
Management are also keen to support personal progression, and I’ve attended some additional training preparing me for a more senior role. I’m really looking forward to the new opportunities that present themselves.
