In today’s government briefing the 400+ volunteers of Helpout.im received a shout out from the Treasury Minister as Howard’s Hero’s. Each of our volunteer heroes help to shield the vulnerable every single day from this horrendous virus. The Chief Minister commended the work of our volunteers as ‘truly fantastic and inspiring work from this army of volunteers to help out members of our community’. The Trustees of Helpout.im want to add their thanks to that of the Chief and Treasury Ministers. Without our volunteers we could not support those in need of our help. So thank you each and every one of you.
Helpout.im is a Manx Registered Charity established to support those in need as a result of Covid-19. Requests for assistance are received though our website, by email or via our dedicated call centre on 033 00 88 7224 (local call rates apply) from those who are isolating, shielding or in quarantine. Many of those shielding have been informed by their doctors that they must stay inside for at least 12 weeks. As such even the most basic of tasks that we take for granted such as getting the daily newspaper, taking the family pet for a walk each morning, shopping for daily provisions or running the occasional errand are denied to them.
At Helpout we match each request for assistance from our clients with a volunteer from the same community neighbourhood. Each of our volunteers are vetted prior to being allocated to assist our clients. The volunteer and our client effectively become buddies, and the volunteer helps their buddy on an ongoing basis.
The most common request is that of the regular family shop. Our volunteers try to work the clients needs into their own regular schedule thereby keeping the number of trips to the supermarkets to a minimum. They pay for the supplies and take a photo of the receipt for their own records, enclosing the receipt with the shopping on delivery. The client then reimburses the volunteer for the amount paid, usually by a bank transfer directly into the volunteer’s bank account, ensuring immediate reimbursement of funds expended.
Basic hygiene and social distancing guidelines are provided to all volunteers and clients ensuring that the potential for contagion is minimised.
The dramatic change in our lifestyle, restrictions to social freedoms combined with the financial reality of the sharp economical downturn has had an impact on us all. Whilst some of us are finding it easier to adjust than others, we can be sure that we all are feeling the pressure of this significant shift in our day to day lives. Helpout.im is increasingly receiving requests from people who just want to talk as well as from those who are experiencing real challenges in adapting to our ‘new normal’. Recognising this need, Helpout.im has teamed up with Compassionate Isle of Man who have provided a team of trained professionals ranging from counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists who are available to assist our clients through the period of the pandemic.
Get in touch with Helpout.im if you need assistance, want to volunteer or wish to make a donation to help support those who are isolating, shielding or in quarantine.
Tel: 033 00 88 7224
Email: help@helpout.im
www.helpout.im
