Thank you to our Volunteers!
June 1-7 is the national Volunteer’s Week which is a special time to say thanks for the contribution of millions of volunteers around the UK. The Genesis Trust depends on the support of amazing volunteers to fulfill our work of supporting the homeless and vulnerable people in the Bath area.
We would like to introduce you to Ann Griffin who has supported the Genesis Trust at the Gateway Centre for a long time.
Ann was first introduced to the Genesis Trust in 2005 when a friend brought her to our Lifeline Project after being made redundant. Lifeline is based at the Gateway Centre and provides immediate support for people who are homeless, vulnerably housed or those experiencing complex problems such as financial insecurity or drug and alcohol addiction.
She visited Lifeline as a client for about a year and during this time realised there was a need to organise all the clothing and bedding donations. She wanted to organise things better so that people knew where to find things. And she has now been volunteering for 15 years! Her dedication to help others was officially recognised in 2016 when she won the Bath and North East Somerset Volunteer of the Year award.
I asked her why she has volunteered for so long.
Ann said, “It gives me something to do and it fits in well with my job. But it’s fulfilling to see when someone comes into the Gateway Centre sad and fed up with life and then to see their face change to happiness. It’s satisfying to give people hope.
So all of us at the Genesis Trust would like to say a big thank you to Ann and all our volunteers who sacrificially give of their time, skills and effort to support our work and help others in need.
