Help Promote Dignity and Empowerment Through Clothing and Care

About the Role:

Are you passionate about style, organisation, and helping others feel seen, respected, and valued?

Are you passionate about style, organisation, and helping others feel seen, respected, and valued?

Join the Hunter New England Mental Health Volunteer Service and support our Clothing Pool & Style Support Service at the Mater Mental Health Centre in Waratah.

This rewarding volunteer role supports consumers in an acute mental health inpatient unit by providing personalised clothing hampers, assembled with care and compassion. Volunteers spend time on the wards speaking with consumers about their needs, preferences, and personal style. Drawing on this information, volunteers thoughtfully select clothing to promote dignity, comfort, and self-expression during hospital admission.

Key Tasks:

• Visit the Wards: Engage with consumers to take clothing requests, listen to their preferences, and explore what styles make them feel most comfortable and themselves.
• Clothing Requests & Styling: Curate personalised clothing packs based on consumer input, using donated items from our storeroom.
• Sort & Prepare Donations: Unpack, assess and organise donations of new or good-condition second-hand clothing.
• Storage Management: Keep the storeroom clean, organised, and ready for the next shift.
• Deliver Clothing with Care: Return to the wards to hand-deliver the hampers respectfully and in line with hospital safety protocols.

Skills and Experience Required:

We are seeking volunteers who have empathy, a non-judgemental attitude towards mental health challenges, and who share our CORE values of Collaboration, Openness, Respect and Empowerment.

Volunteers include people who want to make a positive difference to the lives of consumers, carers, staff and the broader service. We welcome volunteers from all life stages, backgrounds and value diversity within our service.

For this role, we are looking for volunteers who have:

• Organisational Skills: Ability to manage and organise donations efficiently.
• Independence: Able to work independently and take initiative.
• Calm Demeanour: Relate calmly to people experiencing mental health challenges. -** Friendly and approachable**: Excellent interpersonal skills, with a friendly and welcoming presence.
• Interest in Style: Preferably have an interest in style and supporting consumers in selecting clothing/outfits.

Shifts Available:

Weekdays:

• Morning: 9:30am to 12:30pm
• Afternoon: 1pm to 4pm Volunteers attend on a rostered basis with support from the Volunteer Manager

More about Hunter New England Mental Health

Hunter New England Mental Health is part of Hunter New England Local Health District. We provide hospital-based and community mental health services across the region and are committed to recovery-focused, person-centred care.

Why volunteer with us?

• Help us build a strong and resilient community - healthy people, now and into the future
• Invest your time with meaning and purpose and improve your wellbeing
• Become part of an essential and valuable asset to NSW public health
• Improve your perception of mental health challenges and help break down stigma
• Develop your communication skills and confidence
• Gain experience in a mental health service, including networking with professional staff
• Obtain a reference after a qualifying period

Other things you need to know…

To volunteer with us, you must:

• Be aged 18 or over
• Undergo a National Criminal History Check (provided by us)
• Be fully vaccinated in line with NSW Health policy
• Complete NSW Health Volunteer Orientation and training
• Agree to follow all HNELHD and NSW Health policies

We’ll guide you through the onboarding steps and cover any costs related to checks and training.

After applying, our team will invite you for a friendly “meet and greet” to chat more about the program and assess your suitability.