Kids First is a purpose driven organisation with a vision to see all children and young people thrive in resilient, strong and safe families and communities. The organisation offers a range of volunteering opportunities including in retail op shops, the Mentoring Mums program and Early Years learning support.

Emily – the Volunteer Coordinator – has been in regular phone and email contact with all volunteers to stay connected during COVID-19. This contact has been appreciated by volunteers.

All of Kids First’s volunteers are engaging virtually, so managing those in high-risk categories has not been an issue. Many support programs are now engaged via phone support. The organisation is regularly checking-in with those volunteers which are “on hold”.

To manage retaining volunteers and adapting to the online environment, Kids First now delivers volunteer training online. The Mentoring Mums program adapted a group training program via video call which was successful. Without moving online, these mentors would have had to wait until training could occur in person. The six participants are now trained to be paired with clients to provide phone support.

To creatively engage with volunteers, Kids First has created a “Staff and Volunteer Resource Hub” with resources and information about self-care, free online exercise classes, and virtual tours and concerts. The Resource Hub also includes resources for parents who have children at home during COVID-19.

Kids First acknowledge that it will be challenging to predict the impact of COVID-19 on volunteering but look forward to the opportunities for remote engagement. The organisation plans to continue to strengthen their communication channels to stay connected while physically apart.

By Ruby Jacobs, volunteer writer for Volunteering Victoria