Natasha and Andre were initially referred to Home-Start South Warwickshire by their local Health Visitor. Natasha was unsure about what to expect from the support and felt apprehensive. Neither Natasha nor Andre had heard of Home-Start before and so didn’t understand what the support would involve.
“Life was feeling very overwhelming before we were introduced to our volunteer from Home-Start South Warwickshire. Adam and Adrian had been born at 31 weeks and had spent the first month of their lives in hospital,” says Natasha. Minimal local family support meant that for the first month, Natasha and Andre were making numerous return trips to the hospital to see their twin boys, all of which had a huge impact upon family life, causing tiredness and understandable concerns regarding Adam and Adrian’s health. Once the boys were discharged home, the realities of managing life with twins became apparent!
Being matched with a 1-2-1 volunteer has made a big difference to Natasha and Andre.
“The volunteer helped so much with my confidence in looking after the boys and helped with practical things around the house when it all got a bit too much,” says Natasha.
The volunteer matched with the family also had her own personal experience of raising multiples and so had a huge amount of lived experience and lots of practical tricks up her sleeve. “Having a volunteer with a shared experience was brilliant,” says Natasha, “it meant that she really understood how Andre and I were feeling at times and could really empathise with us. This really helped to create a supportive and positive relationship.”
Without the volunteer’s practical and emotional support, Natasha feels that life would have been much more challenging and difficult. “It was such a benefit having the support of someone every week, to help us make the huge transition to parenting multiples from both a practical and emotional point of view,” she says.
Looking forward, Natasha and Andre want to see their children grow up happy and healthy and to continue to support them to grow, learn, and develop. “We are determined to be the best parents we can be to Adam and Adrian,” says Natasha. “For anyone thinking of accessing support from Home-Start South Warwickshire, it’s definitely worth it; I would recommend it to everyone!”
Are you inspired by Natasha and Andre's journey? Do you want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of families like theirs? Become a volunteer with Home-Start South Warwickshire today and be a part of the transformative journey for families in need.
Your time, kindness, and understanding can create a positive impact that lasts a lifetime. Join us in building stronger communities, fostering lifelong friendships, and helping individuals rediscover their confidence. Together, we can make a real change.
Visit our volunteering page or reach out to us to learn more about how you can get involved and start your own journey of making a difference.
Tel: 07564543806
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