Category Archives: VOLUNTEERS

Ozanam House Volunteers
News and information for Volunteers.

Sep 30 2020

Guitar Tutor Needed

We are currently looking for somebody to come in and tutor our guitar classes on Saturdays. All the details, including who to contact, are in the text below.

About Ozanam House Community Resource Centre

Ozanam House is a community project operated by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, working directly with people in need through an action-oriented programme, attempting to effect positive change through social justice. Our work primarily involves person-to-person contact. Throughout the year we run childcare, youth, adult education and community programmes.

What’s Involved

The Volunteer will teach three classes: Beginners, Improvers 1 and Improvers 2, 45 min each. Violin, guitar, piano and dance classes for children 6 to 11 years old.

Time commitment 10 am to 2 pm.

General knowledge of music subject, to be able to lead and support classes of up to 10 children. Be interested and enthusiastic to work with children and music.

What’s required for this position

This role requires guitar tutoring and planning and organisational skills

  • Arts/ Music/ Drama
  • Guitar, Violin, Keyboard. Dance; Hip-Hop, Tap, Musical Drama.
  • Personable Skills
  • Youth/ Childcare

Level of English required for this role:
Fluent English

Times and commitment required for this role

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Morning?
Afternoon?
Evening

Minimum time commitment: 1 year

Hours required: 3hrs Weekly

Training & Induction

•           The volunteer will receive an induction/information night in the centre prior to his/her first inset and will get a general information pack to become familiar with the centre and our procedures

•           The volunteer will have an initial meeting with the co-ordinator to receive a role-specific induction and to agree a timetable and schedule of duties in line with the volunteer role description

•           Ongoing individual training programmes will be provided if necessary

Other Details

Location of volunteering opportunity:
Ozanam House Resource Centre, Mountjoy Sq West, Dublin 1

Screening details for this role:

  • Garda Vetting
  • Informal Interviews
  • References
  • Application Form
  • Identification Check (photo ID etc…)

Volunteers will be provided with the following supports:

  • Support/ advice/ recognition
  • Supervision
  • Initial induction and training
  • Reimbursement of expenses
  • Ongoing training opportunities

Age restrictions:
Over 18

Is this opportunity suitable for groups/teams of volunteers?
No

Benefits you will receive as a volunteer

• General happiness and satisfaction • Personal and professional development in terms of confidence, patience, adaptability • Learn new skills (e.g decision-making and finding alternatives, leadership skills, communication skills, organizational skills

Contact Details

Kim Haugh

Email; admin@ozanamhouse.ie

Phone; 01 8742804

Sep 21 2020

Psychology Tutor

A safe place where people learn and grow,

that serves our needs and enriches our lives

in a supportive, fun and caring environment’

 As part of our Adult Education Programme, we are also looking for a Psychology Tutor. A deeper look at the psychological process can improve many elements of day-to-day life. For more details see the description below.

Adult Education – Introduction to Psychology

Our organisation

Ozanam House is a community resource centre run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. It is located on the site of the original clothing and furniture warehouse in a building that has also been used by the Society for a variety of purposes for over 100 years. Since our opening in September 2002 we have continued to develop various programmes and projects aimed at addressing the issue of social exclusion as well as the many needs of the local community in Dublin’s north inner city. The centre now offers over 600 programme places to more than 500 people per week where our youngest member is 2 and our eldest is 96. We also engage 75 active volunteers who share their time and skills each week for the benefit of others.


Adult Education – Introduction to Psychology – Wednesdays, 7.00-8.30 pm.

One of the courses we are really excited about is our Introduction to Psychology classes.  Each individual course runs for 10 weeks and each class is 1.5hrs in duration.

The aim of the course is to provide people with a good all-round understanding of psychology and its benefits. It is the “understanding what we do and why we do it”.  A deeper look at the psychological process can improve many elements of day-to-day life like understanding ourselves better, improving relations with friends and family, developing critical thinking and better communication skills.

Overview of the volunteer role

To reach our full potential and to achieve our goals in the classes, we are constantly seeking new volunteers to share their interest and knowledge.  All our community education classes take place in an informal setting. Our classes are focused on the needs of the individuals who take them.

Tasks

  • Preparation of the classes according to a given course outline
  • Take class attendance on a daily basis
  • Teach the class
  • Supervise the group
  • Act as a mentor and help the people with their learning goals
  • Motivate and encourage the group to use their skills and passions
  • To attend team meetings and training days if/when possible
  • To follow the policies and procedures of Ozanam House which can be found in the induction

pack or in the office

  • Other general responsibilities in the context of the role as agreed with the co-ordinator
  • Introduce new members to the group and ensure all members are included and engaged in the activity

Time commitment

Classes will take place on Wednesday evenings 7 – 8:30 pm.

The volunteer should commit to at least one of the classes mentioned above plus extra time for the preparation of the classes (the exact times and days of working will be agreed between the volunteer and the programme co-ordinator). The volunteer should commit to a minimum period of nine months. This covers 3 terms with each term lasting 10 weeks. This offers consistency to a class level and offers the volunteer the opportunity to develop that class well over time.

Other volunteers
In addition, we welcome applications from potential volunteers who have specific expertise or skills which they can contribute. Based on the skills offered we can tailor a course for a term of 10 weeks. The time commitment for these volunteers will be agreed in advance with the coordinator.

Skills, Experience & Qualities Required

  • Interest in psychology and skills in psychology
  • Ability to relate well to people and enjoy dealing with them
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Self-confidence and general ease with other people
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – vital in a supportive role
  • Good organisational skills
  • Good level of English
  • High motivation and engagement to be a volunteer over a longer period of time
  • Commitment to the ethos of volunteering and a community-based initiative

Training & Induction

  • The volunteer will receive an induction/information night in the centre prior to his/her first inset and will get a general information pack to become familiar with the centre and our procedures
  • The volunteer will have an initial meeting with the co-ordinator to receive a role-specific induction and to agree a timetable and schedule of duties in line with the volunteer role description
  • Team meetings take place each term,  as well as individual training programmes that will be provided if/where necessary

Support & Supervision

The co-ordinator will be responsible for the supervision of the volunteer. Volunteers will meet with their co-ordinator either in one-to-one meetings, or in larger group meetings to discuss ongoing progress and any issues arising.
General volunteer meetings, for all volunteers, will take place twice a year, in May and November.

Benefits

  • Personal and professional development
  • Sharing knowledge that can help others enrich their lives
  • To be part of a progressive and energetic team supporting others to improve their lives
  • Opportunity to work in and learn about a community resource centre
  • Opportunity to build up valuable work experience
  • Tea and coffee will be provided for all volunteer

Contact

Kim Haugh

admin@ozanamhouse.ie

01 8742804

Sep 16 2020

Adult Education – Cookery Tutor

                    

                                       

A safe place where people learn and grow,

that serves our needs and enriches our lives

in a supportive, fun and caring environment’

 

Our organisation

Ozanam House is a community resource centre run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. It is located on the site of the original clothing and furniture warehouse in a building that has also been used by the Society for a variety of purposes for over 100 years. Since our opening in September 2002 we have continued to develop various programmes and projects aimed at addressing the issue of social exclusion as well as the many needs of the local community in Dublin’s north inner city. The centre now offers over 600 programme places to more than 500 people per week where our youngest member is 2 and our eldest is 96. We also engage 75 active volunteers who share their time and skills each week for the benefit of others.


Adult Education – Cookery Training Programme

One of our most popular programmes is our cookery training centre otherwise known as our    “Healthy Options Centre”. Each individual course runs for 10 weeks and each class is 2hrs in duration.

The courses we run in our cookery training room aim to provide people with simple and basic skills required to provide healthy meals for themselves and their families. They are based on the understanding that healthy eating does not have to be difficult or expensive. Each class also includes some nutritional information with the aim of educating people about the foods we eat and the effect these foods can have on our general wellbeing.

These courses also involve a more practical approach on how to cook healthy food on a budget.

Thursday 10:15-11.45 am and 7.00-9.00pm

The aim of this centre is to limit the use of fast food as the main elements in the diets of the community, offering them a healthier option in this regard while at the same time teaching them some useful culinary skills that will benefit them and their families throughout their lives.

As cookery is a skill everyone would aspire to having our groups can be diverse in age, ethnicity, learning capacity and personal background. This allows for a nice balance of members in the class and can create a good sense of community in the class as groups can reflect our world around us.

Overview of the volunteer role

To reach our full potential and to achieve our goals in the classes, we are constantly seeking new volunteers to share their interest in cookery and to assist the cookery tutor these classes in an informal setting. Our classes are focused on the needs of the individuals who take them. Each class has a team of 2 teachers who work together sharing tasks and lead teaching each week.

Tasks

  • To use the recipe information already in place and/or to think of recipes with your teaching partner or together with the group and to share this with the group one week in advance
  • Preparation of the classes according to a given course outline
  • Take class attendance on a daily basis
  • Teach the class
  • Supervise the group
  • Act as a mentor and help the people with their learning goals
  • Motivate and encourage the group to use their skills and passions
  • To attend team meetings and training days if/when possible
  • To follow the policies and procedures of Ozanam House which can be found in the induction pack or in the office
  • Other general responsibilities in the context of the role as agreed with the co-ordinator
  • To source and purchase the ingredients needed to undertake the classes, these will be funded by the centre
  • Inform participants about healthy cooking, nutrition, cooking on a budget and shopping skills
  • Introduce new members to the group and ensure all members are included and engaged in the activity
  • To follow the policies and procedures of Ozanam House (which can be found in the induction pack or in the office) as well as the Cookery Centre Health & Safety Policies in place.

Time commitment

Classes in the cookery centre run on Thursday mornings from 10:15 to 11:45 am and Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00pm.

The volunteer should commit to at least one of the classes mentioned above plus extra time for the preparation of the classes (the exact times and days of working will be agreed between the volunteer and the programme co-ordinator). The volunteer should commit to a minimum period of nine months. This covers 3 terms with each term lasting 10 weeks. This offers consistency to a class level and offers the volunteer the opportunity to develop that class well over time.

Other volunteers
In addition, we welcome applications from potential volunteers who have specific expertise or skills which they can contribute. For example, volunteers in the past have delivered training in baking, sugar craft, First Aid in the kitchen and taught specific applicable skills to the group. Based on the skills offered we can tailor a course for a term of 10 weeks. The time commitment for these volunteers will be agreed in advance with the coordinator.

Skills, Experience & Qualities Required

  • Interest in cooking
  • Ability to relate well to people and enjoy dealing with them
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Self-confidence and general ease with other people
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – vital in a supportive role
  • Good organizational skills
  • Good level of English
  • High motivation and engagement to be a volunteer over a longer period of time
  • Commitment to the ethos of volunteering and a community based initiative

Training & Induction

  • The volunteer will receive an induction/information night in the centre prior to his/her first inset and will get a general information pack to become familiar with the centre and our procedures
  • The volunteer will have an initial meeting with the co-ordinator to receive a role-specific induction and to agree a timetable and schedule of duties in line with the volunteer role description
  • Team meetings take place each term,  as well as individual training programmes that will be provided if/where necessary

Support & Supervision

The co-ordinator will be responsible for the supervision of the volunteer. Volunteers will meet with their co-ordinator either in one-to-one meetings, or in larger group meetings to discuss ongoing progress and any issues arising.
General volunteer meetings, for all volunteers, will take place twice a year, in May and November.

Benefits

  • Personal and professional development
  • Sharing knowledge that can help others enrich their lives
  • To be part of a progressive and energetic team supporting others to improve their lives
  • Opportunity to work in and learn about a community resource centre
  • Opportunity to build up valuable work experience
  • Tea and coffee will be provided for all volunteers
Aug 21 2020

The Summer Sessions 2020; Different, but Still Fun

Earlier in the summer, in midst of uncertainty and anxiety, we asked our past and current volunteers to brave the challenges this year has thrown at us and help us provide small Summer Sessions for children and young people in our community. More than ever before, our volunteers’ commitment and care for our centre have blown us away!

It has been so fantastic to see familiar faces coming back in the centre and slowly and surely filling the building up with warmth and laughter again. With volunteers’ help and support, we were able to make the best of a very challenging summer and provide the children and young people with a place to get away and have fun. They have needed this break even more so this summer. 


We may not have gone to our usual summer destinations but this didn’t stop us packing in as much fun as we could; we made our own ice cream, turned Mountjoy Square park into our own water fighting zone, went kayaking in the Liffey, made friends with tons of puppies in the park, everyone got their own bowls for cooking and what a delight it has been for the younger children, learned some Ukulele, learned all the Tic Toc dances, some were better than others at this! Community scavenger hunters made friends with our local Garda, wrote heartfelt poetry, did some cool graffiti art and so much more!  


For all us, this year has been underlined by the personal and social challenges of all sorts. However, this year has also shown us the strength of our community spirit and the continued trust and passion of our volunteers and community alike. While the months ahead may continue to be filled with challenges we know that no matter what we can rely on each other to support our communities. 

Aug 6 2020

General ICT Support

A safe place where people learn and grow,

that serves our needs and enriches our lives

in a supportive, fun and caring environment

Our organisation

Ozanam House is a community resource centre run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. It is located on the site of the original clothing and furniture warehouse in a building that has also been used by the Society for a variety of purposes for over 100 years. Since our opening in September 2002 we have continued to develop various programmes and projects aimed at addressing the issue of social exclusion as well as the many needs of the local community in Dublin’s north inner city. The centre now offers over 600 programme places to more than 500 people per week where our youngest member is 3 and our eldest is 94.  We also engage 75 active volunteers who share their time and skills each week for the benefit of others.


Overview of the Volunteer Role

We operate IT systems and infrastructure in the following way –

  1. We have an admin server and network that manages an IT system for 9 admin computers in 3 separate locations in the building
  2. We have an IT training room with 9 machines (8 training pc’s and one teacher’s pc) linked to the network system (accessing internet and WIFI only) but isolated and run separate to the admin server. This room acts as a standalone network where the 8 training pc’s are networked through the teachers machine in the room.

The role of the volunteer supporting our IT systems is as follows:


Tasks

  • Becoming familiar with the IT infrastructure in the centre. A comprehensive plan and details of the system are available and can be made available for review
  • Troubleshooting – supporting the centre by offering off site or hands on advice in dealing with day to day problems if and when they arise.
  • Networking – supporting the centre in dealing with day to day network problems if and when they arise.
  • Software and Hardware Management – advising (off site or hands on – depending on availability) the centre on any hardware of software issues if and when they arise
  • Auditing aged equipment – assisting the audit of aged equipment that has been take off the system. We aim to clean the hard drives and to donate these units back to service users who may benefit from them in their learning as they would not be able to afford computers.

Time commitment

The volunteer should commit to at least one evening per month (2-3 hours) to come in to review all areas so that we stay on top of the systems and are then able to deal with possible issues before they arise. This day/time can be arranged locally.

The time commitment for troubleshooting is flexible where the need for assistance can happen at different times and the availability of the volunteer to respond depends on the time, day of the call. There is an understanding that when a call for assistance is made it may be a few hours or days before the volunteer is available to come in to assist us and this is an expected part of the role. The earlier the volunteer is available the better for the centre.

Skills, Experience & Qualities Required

  • Knowledge of network systems and associated ICT knowledge and skills
  • Willingness to share your computer and technology knowledge
  • Good organizational skills
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • High motivation and engagement to be a volunteer over a longer period of time
  • Patience, resilience, tolerance and flexibility
  • Understanding of and commitment to the ethos of volunteering, community initiative and the organisation

Training & Induction

  • The volunteer will attend an induction/information night in the centre prior to his/her first engagement and will get a general information pack to become familiar with the centre and our procedures
  • The volunteer will have an initial meeting with the co-ordinator to receive a role-specific induction and to agree a timetable and schedule of duties in line with the volunteer role description

Support & Supervision

  1. The co-ordinator is responsible for the support of our volunteers. Volunteers will meet with the co-ordinator either in one-to-one meetings, or in team meetings to discuss ongoing progress and any issues arising.
  2. The volunteer will be a part of the ICT Committee in the centre. The ICT Committee will consist of a small team of ICT experts dedicating their time to support the ICT infrastructure in Ozanam House.
  3. The ICT Committee will meet four times per year in January, April, August and November in the evenings.
  4. General volunteer meetings, for all volunteers, will take place twice a year, May and November.

Benefits

  • Personal and professional development
  • Sharing knowledge that can help others enrich other peoples’ lives
  • Opportunity to work in and learn about a community resource centre
  • Opportunity to build up valuable work experience
  • Opportunity to make a great difference – one that is positive and rewarding – to your life and your community
  • To be part of a progressive and energetic team supporting others to achieve their goals and to improve their lives.

Contact

Kim Haugh

Phone: 01-8742804

Email: admin@ozanamhouse.ie

Aug 6 2020

Website Management Support

           

A safe place where people learn and grow,

that serves our needs and enriches our lives

in a supportive, fun and caring environment

Our organisation

Ozanam House is a community resource centre run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. It is located on the site of the original clothing and furniture warehouse in a building that has also been used by the Society for a variety of purposes for over 100 years.

Since our opening in September 2002 we have continued to develop various programmes and projects aimed at addressing the issue of social exclusion as well as the many needs of the local community in Dublin’s north inner city.

The centre now offers over 600 programme places to more than 500 people per week where our youngest member is 3 and our eldest is 94. We also engage 75 active volunteers who share their time and skills each week for the benefit of others.


Overview of the Volunteer Role

We operate our website in the following way-

  1. We have a WordPress website and blog, http://ozanamhouse.ie/. The website is updated using FTP.
  2. Our social media is updated regularly mainly with links from the website and provides important information on the centre and highlights what we do here. We use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. – ‘svpozanamhouse’

The role of the volunteer will be supporting our Website Management and occasionally our Social Media Department in the following ways:


Tasks

  • Maintaining and updating our website once a term (10 weeks) or as needs require
  • Becoming familiar with the website and its structure
  • Troubleshooting- support the centre by offering off site or hands on advice in dealing with day to day problems if and when they arise
  • Maintaining a high standard in cyber-security
  • Reviewing the website and making any changes to its structure/format that may be required
  • Developing skills and bringing fresh ideas to a media brand

Time commitment

The volunteer should commit to at least one evening per month (2-3 hours) to come in to assist and plan for website management.  This day/time can be arranged locally.

The time commitment for web updates, social media work and troubleshooting is flexible where the need for assistance can happen at different times and the availability of the volunteer to respond depends on the time, day of the call.

There is an understanding that when a call for assistance is made it may be a few hours or days before the volunteer is available to come in to assist us and this is an expected part of the role. The earlier the volunteer is available the better for the centre.

Skills, Experience & Qualities Required

  • Be able to use FTP, particularly Filezilla
  • Have confidence using webhosting applications
  • Have knowledge of and be able to use HTML, CSS and Javascript
  • Good organizational skills
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills – vital in a supportive role
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • High motivation and engagement to be a volunteer over a longer period of time
  • Patience, resilience, tolerance and flexibility
  • Understanding of and commitment to the ethos of volunteering, community initiative and the organisation

Training & Induction

  • The volunteer will attend an induction/information night in the centre prior to his/her first engagement and will get a general information pack to become familiar with the centre and our procedures
  • The volunteer will have an initial meeting with the co-ordinator to receive a role-specific induction and to agree a timetable and schedule of duties in line with the volunteer role description
  • Team meetings with our team of computer teachers take place each term,  as well as individual training programmes that will be provided if/where necessary

Support & Supervision

  1. The co-ordinator is responsible for the support of our volunteers. Volunteers will meet with the co-ordinator either in one-to-one meetings, or in team meetings to discuss ongoing progress and any issues arising.
  2. The volunteer will be a part of the ICT Committee in the centre The ICT Committee will consist of a small team of ICT experts dedicating their time to support the ICT infrastructure in Ozanam House.
  3. The ICT Committee will meet four times per year in January, April, August and November in the evenings.
  4. General volunteer meetings, for all volunteers, will take place twice a year, May and November.

Benefits

  • Personal and professional development
  • Sharing knowledge that can help others enrich other peoples’ lives
  • Opportunity to work in and learn about a community resource centre
  • Opportunity to build up valuable work experience
  • Opportunity to make a great difference – one that is positive and rewarding – to your life and your community
  • To be part of a progressive and energetic team supporting others to achieve their goals and to improve their lives.

Contact

Kim Haugh

Phone: 01-8742804

Email: admin@ozanamhouse.ie

Jul 28 2020

Men’s Group Activities

Hopefully, our Men’s Group will be back with us in-house in the near future. In the meantime, here are some quizzes to keep you occupied. Some real good ones in here.

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ditloid1Q.pdf

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ditloid2Q.pdf

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ditloid3Q.pdf

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/COscarQ.pdf

https://www.kensquiz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/CTVQ.pdf

Jul 16 2020

A Big Welcome Back to Our Childcare Children

We finally got to welcome back the Children from the Childcare Centre last week and it was fantastic. It was a testament to the amazing work all our Childcare Centre staff have put in over the last few months during this difficult time. Also, all our staff in Ozanam House have put in place and adhered to new measures aimed at keeping the staff, volunteers, service users, members and visitors safe during their time in Ozanam House. Here we have the Koalas have a great time.

Jul 9 2020

Occupational Wellness for Our Active Retirement Group

Continuing with our physical and mental wellness of our Active Retirement members we look at Occupational Wellness this week. Vocational, Professional, or Occupational Wellness is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment from your career, occupation, and work. It also means you maintain a good balance between your personal and professional lives. The ways of improving this are in the document below.

Occupational WellnessDownload
Jul 2 2020

Intellectual Wellness for Our Active Retirement Group

Continuing with our physical and mental wellness of our Active Retirement members we look at Intellectual Wellness this week. Intellectual Wellness refers to active participation in scholastic, cultural, and community activities. The ways of improving this are in the document below.

Intellectual WellnessDownload