Mirrors puts out a call for new volunteers

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Volunteers are badly needed for the Mirrors Programme — Government’s scheme to help youth and adults in need of a personal transformation.

With its next residential programme looming, Mirrors has to recruit about 230 helpers from the community, volunteer enrolment manager Carla Zuill said — and so far just 47 have been cleared for vetting.

“It’s very urgent,” she said. “Without volunteers, there’s no programme. This is a programme dedicated to benefiting youth and we’re having a hard time garnering the people we need.”

The next Mirrors residential session, the co-ed camp for 15- to 18-year-olds, starts in November — but volunteer training begins next month.

The Mirrors enrolment week for volunteers gets underway from today.

Noting that one of the most frequent reasons people give is that they don’t have enough time, Ms Zuill said the Coaching For Success (CFS) programme for middle school students can use volunteers for just 20 minutes a week.

Anyone over 21 is eligible. Applicants are cleared and trained for a variety of different roles — from helping school students to stick to their goals, to the production team that assembles the residential, and the committed partners who follow Mirrors participants over the nine months after residentials.

The Mirrors team will be visible throughout the week and taking to the airwaves, calling for people to step forward — including graduates of the programme.

“If Mirrors had an impact on your life, and you can imagine how your life would be if you didn’t have that coach, then perhaps you could consider giving back,” Ms Zuill said.

Expatriates and senior citizens are welcome, and the programme is keen for the support of bosses for their staff.

Ms Zuill added: “We would love employers to support and encourage their staff to volunteer, and we request that they be given paid time off to volunteer, so that they don’t have to use their vacation time.”

Not only participants benefit from taking part in Mirrors, she said.

“Those who have gone through it say it’s not just impacting young people but volunteers as well. You take something away from your training, and sometimes volunteers find they have things from their own past that they ought to look at again.”

Businesses, sports clubs, churches and any groups interested in hearing more can request a presentation from Mirrors on site. The Mirrors team will give also give visits outside of regular working hours.

Anyone interested in exploring the Mirrors Programme as a volunteer should contact Ms Zuill at clzuill@gov.bm, or call 294-9295.

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