The Red Cross is recruiting for community response volunteers
By Mary Dennehy
THE Tallaght branch of The Irish Red Cross is recruiting community care response volunteers to help support vulnerable residents across the area.
In direct response to the coronavirus crisis, the Irish Red Cross has introduced a new role called Community Care Covid-19 response volunteer.
SUPPORT: Ellie, Karen, Thomas, Pauline, Elaine and Peter
Here in Tallaght, the local branch of the Irish Red Cross is available to support vulnerable or isolated residents, and is looking for volunteers to support them in their work.
A member of the Tallaght branch for the past nine years, Peter Malone from Jobstown said: “We’re recruiting associate members, there’s no fee and it’s for a period of six months.
“People interested don’t need training or first aid, and the community care responders will be purely engaged in community support – like making a phone call or doing shopping or collecting medicines.
“This is a new role in response to what’s happening at the moment.
“All volunteers will also be Garda vetted within 24 to 48 hours.”
Peter, who is the unit officer with the Tallaght branch, said that social isolation was always a key focus of the Tallaght branch.
The team had, before the coronavirus crisis, introduced a health steps programme, which, running in Kingswood, hoped to address social isolation – by connecting people together.
The weekly 5km walk had taken off in Kingswood, with plans in place to roll the programme out to all Tallaght communities when restrictions are lifted and it is safe to do so.
From next week, some of the longterm members of the Tallaght branch will also be called into action to support ambulance response teams.
Members will support the ambulance service by helping to transport patients to hospital, care homes, appointments etc. Anybody interested in becoming a community response volunteer with the Tallaght branch of the Irish Red Cross, is invited to fill out an online volunteer form on www.redcross.ie. or visit irishredcrosstallaght.com.
Further details are available on the Irish Red Cross Tallaght Facebook page. If you’re in need of support, call 087 6326018 or email irctallaghtbranch@gmail.com
