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Do you need someone to talk
to?
Have you lost a loved one to
suicide?
Do you know someone who needs help?
Would you like to help us?
More information about Befrienders
List of useful contacts
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Befrienders Volunteers
Befrienders are ordinary people. You have
probably traveled with a Befriender on the train or
waited next to one in the supermarket. You may even work with someone who is
a Befriender. What makes Befrienders special is their discretion, reliability,
open-mindedness and patience. They are willing to spend some of their time
each week supporting those who are in need.
Befrienders KL is recruiting volunteers for their counselling services. A preview will be held at the Befrienders Centre, 95 Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya on Saturday 19 July 2008 at 10.00 a.m and interviews on Saturday 26 July from 9 am. Successful applicants have to attend a training course to be held on 2, 9, 16 and 23 August 2008 from 10 am to 5.30 pm. For further details, call 03-79571306
Could you be a Befriender?
Try this simple test:
• Lisa is 14 and pregnant. Should she agree to have an abortion?
• Eric is 26 and HIV-positive. Should he tell his family?
• Lily is 43. Her husband has a girl friend in China. Should she leave him?
• Albert is 68, and in constant pain from cancer. Would it be right for
him to take an overdose?
If you answered ‘YES’ to these questions, then
Befriending work is probably not for you. If you answered ‘NO’…. then Befriending work is still
probably not for you.
But if you weren't sure, if you can listen to people tell their stories
without making judgments, please do contact us. We desperately need people
like you. You can call us at 03-79571306 or email us at admin@befrienders.org.my
What sort of people volunteer for the Befrienders?
Befriender volunteers come from every walk of life.
They are teachers, professionals, secretaries, students, writers, the self-employed, and retired people. The only things they
have in common are their ability to put the caller first and to give them
unconditional time and space to explore their emotions. Formal qualifications
and previous experience are not requirements for being a good listener. What
is needed is the ability to really listen to others, to refrain from giving
advice, to leave your own religious or political opinions at the door and to
abide by the Befrienders principles and practices.
All of our volunteers are English speakers, but many also speak other
languages, including Chinese and Malay.
Is there training involved?
Volunteer training and selection are vital because they ensure the best
possible service for our callers. Befrienders are
not professional counselors but they are trained volunteers, not just well
intentioned amateurs.
The Befrienders Training Course is a creative
learning process during which people work together to share and
develop the sum of their knowledge, skills and experience. At the end of the
course, you may still be tentative about your first duty, but you will be
fully prepared. Preparation is about fine-tuning your listening skills and
giving you the knowledge and confidence to support callers in crisis. You
will gain experience of the types of calls that you may receive through
skills practice, exercises and group discussions. You will learn how to
respond to callers using Befrienders principles and
practices.
In the process you will gain knowledge about yourself. You may begin to
question your own assumptions. You will then be ready to listen in a
non-judgmental way. You will learn to leave your own opinions and beliefs at
the door of the Centre, and on finishing your duties, you learn to leave the
callers and their problems in the centre for the next Befriender
to deal with.
Next training
Currently, our training course takes place once a year, usually
starting in April. Dates are to be confirmed. Please check out this site for
further details as we hope to offer more courses.
It is not possible to attend the preparation course without going through the
selection process. Attendance at all sessions is necessary to complete the
training course.
How do we meet our expenses?
Although our volunteers are not paid, the organization
still has operational expenses namely telephone charges, the salaries of
administrative staff, the cost of advertising our services in the media,
electricity water and so on.
We depend on charitable individuals and organizations to
help us meet our expenses. If you share our concern for those
in need, please help us. Cheques should be
made to The Befrienders Kuala Lumpur - and
mailed to The Befrienders Kuala Lumpur, 95 Jalan Templer 46000 Petaling Jaya. ALL DONATIONS RM50 and above ARE TAX
EXEMPT.
For further information please contact us at 03-79571306 or email us at admin@befrienders.org.my
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