COACH (Creating Opportunities and Casting Hope) is a community-strengthening program that aims to empower individuals and families through one-to-one mentoring, breaking generational cycles of poverty and family breakdown.
COACH partners with not-for-profits and churches to train volunteer mentors and match them with individuals in need. Over 12 months, COACH participants meet with their mentors each week.
A COACH mentor is a friend with purpose, offering practical help and mentoring towards life goals. These goals include education, employment, training, improved mental health, reduction in addictive habits, financial management, housing, family cohesion, decrease in social isolation, and improved physical and emotional wellbeing. Mentoring is a way to bring out the best in people and help them make use of their own resources. It also promotes individual responsibility and builds community cohesion.
Simone met her mentor, Miranda, during a challenging time in her life. Simone has three special needs children, was homeless for the third time, and was going through a difficult relationship breakdown. Simone and Miranda started meeting fortnightly and now Miranda is only a phone call or email away. Simone appreciates that she can call her mentor just for a chat as well as in the hard times.
Prior to joining COACH, Simone says she spent most of the day in bed and was struggling to cope with the stresses and pressure of everyday life. She also added that having special needs children has been “isolating and it’s been hard to maintain friendships”. The COACH program and her relationship with Miranda have enabled Simone to find hope. She is now debt free and working in a café which has been a great confidence boost for her. Simone says she calls it "hope, instead of COACH, as it’s a hope program.”
Miranda shares that COACH exemplifies the things she is passionate about – giving time to build genuine friendships that are about growth, healing, and restoration. She sees COACH as a program that anyone can be involved in.
(COACH Network is operated by Crossway LifeCare in partnership with Mission Australia).
Source: BUV News