Andrew Gioannetti
SERVICE and trade professionals are being encouraged to offer their services for six-month and year-long social programmes led by the non-governmental organisation Vision on Mission (VOM).
The volunteer projects, VOM said, aim to provide support and intervention to its target populations, who include ex-prisoners, deportees, victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, delinquent youth, and the families of men and women in prison.
VOM launched the two-week window for registration on Monday. The organisation said volunteers are expected to provide professional services and skills, and will, in turn, “gain practical work experience in various community-based projects, programmes and activities in the social-work and restorative-justice sectors.”
The organisation said it needs social/field workers, in-transit lecturers, group workshop facilitators, and programme managers and administrators.
It said selected volunteers will be given details of the minimum hours of service needed.
“The organisation’s overall goal in the execution of these projects is to enable and empower those individuals within our target populations, to become good or better citizens who make meaningful contributions to society, while simultaneously avoiding a life of crime and instability,” VOM said.
Incorporated in 2001, the NGO provides social reintegration services for the incarcerated, ex-offenders, and other vulnerable groups.
“The organisation continues to provide its clients with a wide range of services by way of in-prison preparation for release programmes; post-release accommodation, supervision and care; counselling; educational life skills training; job training and sustainable revenue-generating job opportunities; financial management, with plans for many more upcoming programmes.
“One of the organisation’s strategic objectives is to contribute towards the reduction of the recidivism rate in TT,” it said.
“Thus, we are launching this volunteer programme to recruit (those) who can help us positively impact a larger audience, so that we can continue to meet this important objective.”
For more information or to apply, prospective volunteers can visit visiononmission.org.
