What is the Care Army?
The Care Army is a group of Queensland volunteers working with support service organisations to care for older and vulnerable people in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amongst other things, these community members are identified as needing assistance with groceries and other essential supplies, attending medical appointments, garden care, and having a friendly face to provide company and reassurance. In most cases, those receiving Care Army support do not have access to family, friends, or neighbours to help them during the health crisis.
Volunteering Queensland works with the Queensland Government to administer the Care Army program, facilitating the recruitment and placement of volunteers.
Does your organisation need volunteer support?
Is your organisation involved in COVID-19 response and in need of extra assistance from emergency volunteers?
Emergency Volunteering CREW can help you to access volunteer support through the Queensland’s Government Care Army initiative.
The Care Army is made up of everyday Queenslanders who want to help older and vulnerable people living in the community who may not have a wide circle of friends, family or neighbours who are able to support them during the COVID-19 outbreak. The primary focus of the Care Army is social connection and essential services such as the delivery of groceries and medicines for Queensland’s seniors.
Queensland’s community organisations are encouraged to think about how they could use volunteers to assist with meeting the needs of older and vulnerable people in their communities. This could be achieved through phone calls or video chats to check on the wellbeing of older and vulnerable Queenslanders and help reduce the impacts of social isolation. It could also involve the non-contact delivery of food, medication and essential items, driving people to appointments, mowing lawns, or similar chores.
Care Army volunteers can help in front-line service delivery roles where they support older and vulnerable people who are impacted by COVID-19. Care Army volunteers can also assist the operations of your organisation while your current volunteers focus on delivery of essential services to people in need at this challenging time. Talented Care Army volunteers may be able to assist you to maintain existing operations and begin putting plans in place for a post-COVID-19 environment.
The safety and health of Care Army volunteers and the safety, health and privacy of those they assist is of primary importance. Community organisations are asked to ensure all necessary screenings, briefings and PPE are in place.
There is no cost to access Care Army volunteers.
Does your organisation require assistance from Care Army Volunteers?
How Care Army assists community organisations
Queensland’s community organisations are eligible to engage Care Amy volunteers to deliver essential services to elderly and vulnerable people who are impacted by COVID-19.
Care Army volunteers assist the operations of an organisation with increased needs, leaving long-term volunteers to focus on the delivery of ongoing essential services.
