Volunteer Story (12) - Sam

Sam – ‘staying out of trouble’

Sam’s social worker encouraged her to join a Volunteering programme when she was just 17. She had been struggling at home and moved to a supported housing scheme. And she had realised she needed a focus to ‘stay out of trouble’.

Her local volunteer bureau told her about us and she started to help out at the Home-Start office. She loved it, and realised that ultimately she wanted to work with children.

When Sam was 20 she moved away and became pregnant. After her daughter Megan’s birth she became very isolated. She turned to her health visitor for help. And her health visitor referred her to Home-Start, the very same branch of the charity that she had volunteered at three years earlier.

After Megan went to school, Sam was struggling to find work. She had time on her hands and decided to put it to good use. Now that she had parenting experience, she decided to become a home-visiting volunteer.

People have asked Sam why she volunteers her time for free, she says:

"It’s because I get so much out of the experience; it’s such a worthwhile thing to do"