
Jennifer’s Story
by Michaela Fortunato
Jennifer has been volunteering at Hammersley Homes for over two years. Mental health has been close to home for Jennifer as she watched her Mum and Dad struggle with mental illness without much support or funding. Then one day, as Jennifer was nestling against the soft pillows of her couch, sipping her cup of tea and scrolling through the Indeed website on her phone, she saw Hammersley Homes promoting vacancies for more volunteers.
The Outreach Volunteers offer support to people with enduring mental health challenges either through the telephone or face to face visits. Their vulnerable clients struggle with aspects of everyday life we all take for granted, and they require ongoing support. Hammersley Homes’ programme builds confidence, increases community engagement, improves the clients’ relationships and importantly reduces loneliness and isolation – which is faced by many with these conditions due to the stigma of their symptoms. Jennifer had always wanted to support others battling mental health challenges, so she applied for the position.
Jennifer builds strong bonds with each of her four Hammersley Homes clients. Every time Jennifer calls one of her clients, Charlotte, they always laugh about little moments in Charlotte’s life, giving Jennifer stitches as she heaves for breath on the other side of the call.
“It’s like talking to a friend”, Jennifer states as she explains how Charlotte always makes her day when they laugh together.
Jennifer and Charlotte even clicked on their first call together. Charlotte knows Jennifer has two boys, so she understands when Jennifer has to sometimes change her schedule and call on different days of the week. Charlotte has struggled through a lot of difficult situations, but she doesn’t allow them to affect her as she still asks Jennifer how she and her boys are doing.
Jennifer enjoys talking to every one of her clients, as she hears their different experiences and personalities shine through the phone calls. Sometimes, they “chit-chat” with her whilst other times, they open up to her about how they are truly feeling. For example, Eleanor, one of Jennifer’s clients, is extremely busy and has children of her own. Whenever they call each other, they instantly connect and Eleanor always shares about how she is doing. There are times when Jennifer and Eleanor spend thirty minutes talking about their responsibility of being a mother, which gives Eleanor the opportunity to discuss the ways she may be struggling with raising her children.
Jennifer also loves showing her clients that they are not alone in a time of crisis. For instance, one night, a shrilling ringtone pervaded from Jennifer’s mobile as it vibrated across her bedside table. Her eyelids weighed like pebbles as she grabbed her phone.
“Hello?” A hoarse whisper escaped her lips as she leaned against her oaken headboard. It was Jackie. She could hear a tremble in Jackie’s voice as she expressed the thoughts of suicide which had been clouding her mind like a thick, greedy mist. Jennifer’s eyes opened wide like the wind pulling back the waves. Her heart raced as a deep furrow formed between her brows. She put Jackie on hold. With trembling fingers, Jennifer tried to contact other volunteers and employees at Hammersley Homes. However, it was difficult to contact staff members out-of-hours. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the only option left – scavenging through the internet for helpline numbers. Seconds felt like hours as she frantically dialed, her mind reeling with the possible outcomes. The first helpline wasn’t able to assist her. She couldn’t back out now. So, Jennifer rang the number of the helpline, ShoutOut. A sigh of relief rushed through her lips as a gentle voice reassured her everything was going to be alright. Returning to Jackie, Jennifer asked if she had a plan to end her life that night. There was a pause, silence wrapped its arms around them like a shawl. After what seemed an eternity, Jennifer heard soft sobs as Jackie confessed she had no plan to commit suicide. Jennifer stayed on the call, offering her gentle words of comfort, until a yawn was heard on the other side and she suggested Jackie go to sleep.
The following morning, Jennifer held her breath as she called Jackie once again, asking if she was okay. A wave of relief washed over Jennifer as Jackie reassured her that she was feeling better. She knew the danger had passed for the present, but she also knew this wasn’t the end of the struggle.
Hammersley Homes stepped in immediately, providing ongoing support for Jackie to help her navigate this dark period. The charity’s team worked closely with Jennifer, updating her on Jackie’s progress and any warning signs which arose. Jennifer, along with Hammersley Homes, carefully logged every detail, ensuring that everyone involved knew how to best support her client going forward. The charity currently checks in with Jackie once or twice a week, but sometimes, she reaches out to Jennifer directly, seeking the comfort of a familiar voice.
Jennifer always calls back, no matter the time, staying on the line as long as it takes until she hears the calm return to Jackie’s tone. Each conversation is a reminder of the fragility and strength which coexist within those struggling with mental ill-health, and Jennifer is determined to be the steady hand guiding her through.
Volunteering at Hammersley Homes has given Jennifer the experience she needs for what she would like to do in the future. It has also given her an insight into the varied levels of mental health. Diagnosis can include schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, borderline personality disorder, agoraphobia, anxiety, depression, PTSD, Autism and ADHD, to name a few. Jennifer feels happy whenever she impacts her clients positively through her conversations with them. For instance, if her clients are struggling, Jennifer asks them to get back to her immediately. She will then speak with them until she hears the hope rising in their voices as they take her advice to help them tackle their difficult situations.
One of the new skills Jennifer has retained from volunteering at Hammersley Homes, is to remain calm in an “uptight situation” or conversation. Jennifer has also learned that every one of their circumstances are different, therefore, she addresses each situation according to each client.
For example, when she first started talking to her client, John, he was a “closed book”, but over time, he opened up more to her. John had a routine of walking his dog every day, so Jennifer suggested he added a home workout or a coffee outing to his routine. Although John didn’t see the benefit of going out for coffee, he started working out at home, which invigorated him. Now, John enjoys chatting with Jennifer during their calls and openly shares how he truly feels.
The more Jennifer talks to her clients, the more they regard her as their friend, as someone there to listen and give advice, which helps them significantly as they know that she genuinely cares for how they are feeling in the moment.
Volunteering at Hammersley Homes has helped Jennifer understand her clients’ different limits. Everyone has varied limitations. What could be a small hurdle for one person could be a mountain for another. Also, the fact that Jennifer is outside her clients’ network of family and friends, gives them the confidence to confide in her, because they know what they share with her won’t be revealed to the people in their social circles. This also means that Jennifer gives her clients different advice from the people in their other networks, which helps them overcome the impediments of their circumstances.
Jennifer has discovered that the most rewarding aspect of supporting her clients at Hammersley Homes is seeing them improve – watching as they go from feeling low at the start of a conversation to feeling encouraged and hopeful by the end. Jennifer has also found it worth her while to see their mental and emotional health alleviate as they take her advice.
“I know it’s a little cliché, but it works”, Jennifer says as she states that taking a ten-minute walk actually helps her clients to improve their mental health.
Jennifer’s advice to all future volunteers is to “just be open minded to every situation and put yourself in their position. Address the circumstance the way you would like to be approached if it was you in that situation and don’t judge them as a person.”