As one of the longest serving call takers on FriendLine, there is no question that Shaun would be the Ideal candidate for a volunteer profile.
Shaun was drawn to volunteer with FriendLine having had personal experience of loneliness and Isolation and understood the effects these experiences have on callers. Shaun wanted to show both empathy and compassion towards the people he spoke with on FriendLine.
Answering the phone to a regular caller is one of the highlights of Shaun’s role. Shaun enjoys remembering previous conversations and being able to continue with the chat, as if speaking to an old friend.
When he’s not busy answering the phone to our lovely callers, Shaun keeps himself extremely busy working part time as a kitchen hand and completing a Bachelor of Counselling. Shaun is very much a family orientated person and spends much of his time helping his elderly father. And in his spare time, you might find Shaun out for a walk or engrossed in a book or movie with a coffee at his side. When asked where he would go on a holiday, Fiji was Shaun’s first choice, speaking of the majestic beauty of the island and the friendly, kind, and caring locals.
To a caller who might be apprehensive about making their first call to FriendLine, Shaun assures there is no judgement or preconceived ideas about our callers. Pick up the phone for a chat, we are all friends.
It feels appropriate to now introduce you to one of the newest additions to the FriendLine team, Adele. After reading about Australia’s hidden loneliness epidemic and its links to the increasing rates of anxiety and depression, Adele was motivated to find what support was available to those who were experiencing loneliness. Discovering FriendLine, Adele found herself instantly drawn to volunteering as a call taker, having been inspired by the work of Friends for Good. Six months later and Adele remarks that becoming a volunteer call taker was one of the best decisions she has ever made. The most enjoyable part of her role is making real connections with the people she speaks to, and she is amazed by how much she learns from every one of her calls and the positive impact they have on her.
When not taking calls on FriendLine, Adele is juggling her part time job in retail with the demands of a bachelor’s degree in Counselling and Coaching. When it’s time to relax, Adele is spending quality time with her partner, family and friends and her much loved furry companion Axel, a Jack Russell puppy.
When it comes to travel, Adele’s travel dream is to escape the southern chill and head north to immerse herself in the rich indigenous culture of the Northern Territory with Kakadu National Park at the top of her “must see” list.
If you are nervous about calling for the first time, Adele encourages you to pick up the phone for a friendly chat. You can speak as much or as little as you like while remaining anonymous, it might just be the little yarn that makes your day!
FriendLine – helping Australians reconnect.
By Rachel Durrant