What you can do!

WHAT SERVICES DOES BETHANY PROVIDE?

Bethany Home provides a wonderful caring, supportive environment for the local community’s (and those from further a field) children. To the public eye it would be recognised primarily as a school and this (in most cases) is where volunteers could find themselves working.

There are six academic classes (Level 1-6). In these classrooms the children are generally not physically disabled but have learning or intellectual difficulties.

There is an early intervention program that provides services for children from 0 - 6 years. Two days a week it is at the Bethany site, 2 days a week in Teluk Intan and 1 day a week in Bagon Datoh.

The physiotherapy class is located in the physiotherapy department and caters for the students with special physiotherapy needs. The department has equipment suitable to aiding their gross and fine motor skills, when doing academic learning.

There are 3 workskills classrooms. Here the students are assisted with academic learning and learning independent work and living skills.

Off the Bethany site is the Lighthouse, and here the students are in a pre-employment situation. They learn skills, which will hopefully equip them to progress into meaningfull employment.

WHAT WILL I BE DOING?

Bethany Home is a wonderful place for “new-to-it” or “experienced” volunteers. The director and staff are always very welcoming and glad to have volunteers at Bethany – you will quickly feel at home.

The teaching staff, work between the hours 8am until 4pm. The volunteers are expected to work between the hours 9am until 3pm at the school.

On arrival a volunteer will spend a brief orientation time visiting the different classes. A volunteer then has the option to find where they may like to work and negotiate this with the administrator to create a schedule. Or the administrator can find a place for you to work. A volunteer can come with specific professional skills (e.g. an occupational therapist, computer analyst, teaching skills) in which case they will have a set area in which to work.

Bethany Home is always wanting to encourage the children in extra-curricular activities and there are always sports events, concerts, singing, camps and other activities where volunteers are welcomed and encouraged to lend a helping pair of hands. You (like many of our current volunteers) may like to start a project of your own!