Extended Families works with a group of volunteers who believe that having joy in your life and being a part of your community is important for everyone. To that end, we support children and young people with a disability aged 0-30 across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula to build friendships and connect with their community. Extended Families supports diverse families and is seeking the same in our volunteers. No matter who you are or where you’re from, we would love to hear from you! No specific qualifications are required, however a minimum of 12 months commitment to the program is requested. Our volunteers all bring different life experiences and skill sets to the role.

Volunteer Mentor Needed! Location: Maribyrnong

Aiden is 9 year old boy with a fun and friendly personality. He has high functioning Autism and ADHD and enjoys being active and getting out and about. He lives with his mother, father and younger sister, who also has special needs. His family have very few supports in their own network and would love to see Aiden having the opportunity to get out into the community on a regular basis with the support of a Mentor friend.

Aiden has lots of interests and it would be great to see him connect with someone who shares some of these. He loves music (chart hits), Justin Beiber, the Avengers and Star Wars. He likes ball games like cricket and has recently started playing touch football. He enjoys activities like playing beyblades, legos, art/drawing and also attends drama classes. He loves going to places like Scienceworks and also enjoys being outdoors where he can play sports, run around and have fun.

Aiden can sometimes struggle with his social skills as he likes to be around other children but at times says the wrong thing or shows frustration when things don’t go his way. Aiden just needs a bit of support with these interactions and responds very well to prompting and clear instructions. The family feels that a male role model could be quite good for Aiden but females are also welcome to apply as Aiden enjoys being around both males and females. Regular outings with Aiden are a great opportunity for a volunteer who has good verbal communication skills to assist Aiden to improve on his social skills and encourage and model positive behaviours.

Aiden’s family would like to see him supported by a Volunteer Mentor who could visit him and accompany him on outings for a few hours each fortnight. The family’s availability includes anytime during the day on Saturdays or Sundays with some flexibility for weekdays after school.

If you are someone who is fun, energetic and would enjoy supporting Aiden to develop his skills and engage in new pursuits, we would love to hear from you!

Please contact Amanda Perry at Extended Families on 0406 229 244 or 9355 8848 for more information about applying to become an accredited volunteer with Extended Families.

Extended Families is an organisation committed to child safety and the freedom from abuse and exploitation of all people with a disability