Vorarlberg children’s charity seeks volunteer companions

Vorarlberg Children’s Village, a family support organisation, is seeking volunteers to spend time with children in families needing help and respite, ORF reported. The volunteers can read, play or go for walks with children.

Demand is currently strongest in the districts of Feldkirch and Dornbirn, said Elisabeth Dornstetter of the organisation. It is also looking for volunteers in other municipalities across Vorarlberg.

About 166 volunteers currently support families through the organisation. They typically give two to three hours a week, helping parents by taking babies for walks, playing or doing crafts with children, reading with them or visiting a playground together.

Families seek support for a range of reasons, Dornstetter said, including a lack of social support, the birth of twins or multiple babies, illness and other challenges in family life. Single parents are also among those seeking help.

Volunteers need “a big heart for children” and two to three hours a week, Dornstetter said. Coordinators at the organisation’s Familienimpulse programme offer guidance when questions or problems arise. The organisation also holds regular volunteer gatherings, with cultural and creative activities, training and opportunities for personal development.