Q: What is the definition of a CANSA Volunteer?
A: A CANSA Volunteer can be defined as:
Any person, who willingly and without any payment, or other monetary reward, performs a defined task or tasks, for the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) after having been duly trained and appointed as a CANSA volunteer.
A person can only call him/herself a CANSA volunteer, once he/she has been issued with a letter of appointment as a volunteer from a CANSA volunteer programme coordinator or other CANSA authorised person. In the letter of appointment as a volunteer the defined task(s) to be performed are stipulated. The task or tasks are to be performed by the volunteer for, or on behalf of CANSA. Furthermore a CANSA volunteer is someone who identifies with CANSA by being a paid-up Member of CANSA for (at least) the duration of his/her period of voluntary service.
Q: Do we get paid as Volunteers?
A: The Volunteer provides his/her service or time freely:
Anyone who decides to become a volunteer should provide his/her service or time of their own free will. No matter why someone decides to become a volunteer, there must never be any coercion by anyone to cause an individual to become a volunteer. There must also never be any ulterior motives, of any kind, by the person who wants to be a volunteer.
CANSA will reimburse volunteers for out of pocket expenses as per contract and prior negotiations.
Q: Who can become a CANSA Volunteer?
A: Anyone:
- Housewives / husbands
- Families
- Couples
- Individual schoolchildren and teenagers
- Students
- Overseas visitors
- Unemployed individuals (both jobseekers and non-job seekers)
- Full-time employed individuals
- Professional individuals, for example police officers, lawyers, bookkeepers, etc
- Retired individuals and couples
- Persons with disabilities or those in poor health
- Church groups (from various religious denominations)
- School groups
- Service groups, for example Rotary
- Other organised groups
Q: What services can Volunteers offer to communities?
A: The following offerings can be provided by Volunteers to communities:
All newly recruited Volunteers can choose to assist staff with one of the following 3 areas and will receive training prior to commencing with their responsibilities:
Care & Support – which includes educational prevention campaigns:
- Offer Home Based Care to cancer patients and families
- Support with medical equipment hire
- Support with wig and prostheses loan banks
- Provide support through facilitating Support Groups
- TLC support to children & teens affected by cancer
- Dignity tool to support Survivors
- Implementation of Health Campaigns as per CANSA’s Health Calendar and Cancer Control issues to raise awareness about prevention and early detection – talks, exhibitions, distribution of pamphlets and posters
Care & Support (by Professional Nurses only) – early detection services:
- Early detection and screening services by means of CANSA’s Mobile Units for Pap smears, clinical breast examinations, prostate and skin cancer
- Colorectal cancer screening – dipstick method
- Healthy Lifestyle risk assessments (general)
- Risk assessments on the following cancers: bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer and prostate cancer
- Blood pressure tests
- Blood glucose tests
- HIV Rapid tests
- Cholesterol rapid tests
Administrative Support:
- Answering telephone
- Taking messages
- Filing
- General office support
Assistance with Fundraising Projects & Events:
- planning fundraisers for regional Care Centres or National Projects
- execution of fundraisers for regional Care Centres or National Projects
- wrap-up of fundraisers for regional Care Centres or National Projects
- assistance at specific National fundraising events: Shavathon | Relay For Life | Cuppa For CANSA
Q: How does CANSA motivate Volunteers?
A: We motivate our Volunteers by:
- Creating a climate in which volunteers can feel welcome and supported
- We match the volunteer’s desires with the CANSA’s needs
- We provide excellent training and guidance
- We give the volunteer a title which reflects the work they do (not just ‘volunteer’)
- We provide a clear role description for every volunteer
- We set solid goals for volunteers and provide feedback re progress
- We give volunteers a real voice within the organisation, by involving them in decision-making processes
- We encourage volunteers to attend seminars, conferences and workshops for enrichment purposes
- We highlight the impact that volunteers’ contributions have on CANSA
- We pass on any positive comments about volunteers from clients to the volunteers themselves
- We inform the local press about the excellent work of our volunteers
- We give certificates to commemorate anniversaries of involvement
- We show an interest in volunteers’ personal interests and their outside life
- We allow volunteers the opportunity to debrief, especially if they work in stressful situations
- We provide the opportunity for ‘leave of absence’
- We offer to write volunteers letters of reference
Q: What are the responsibilities of CANSA Volunteers?
A: The following forms part of their responsibilities:
- To stick to the contract and volunteer policy of CANSA
- To follow the task description provided to them with their letter of appointment
- To remember that the public sees them as a representative of CANSA
- Not to damage the image of CANSA in any way
- To always accurately state what position they hold in the volunteer programme
- To provide CANSA sufficient notice of their intention to leave the volunteer programme, or go on holiday, etc
- To accurately and timeously account for their expenses if they are to be reimbursed for them
- To work as a volunteer for the period of time they committed themselves to
- To adhere to the policy and regulations regarding confidentiality
- To adhere to the policy and regulations to protect the safety of volunteers
- To be have knowledge of the mission statement and aims of CANSA
- To deliver the services assigned to them, for which they received the necessary training
Q: What are the benefits of being a CANSA Volunteer?
A: Benefits include:
- Opportunities to meet new people
- Opportunities to acquire new skills
- Initial and in-service training
- Opportunities to learn about the environment
- The chance to work for a worthy cause
- The chance to feel valued
- A letter of reference and service record after serving CANSA for one year
- An opportunity to gain experience in a particular field of work
- Access to tangible benefits such as: name tag, CANSA T-shirt, etc
- An opportunity to go on excursions / participate in functions (educational)
- Continuing in-service training (with the possibility of eventual accreditation)
- Opportunity to contribute towards the fight against cancer
