Share Your Experience
Are you a seasoned parent of a preemie or baby born with a special health care need and feel compelled to help others who now walk in your shoes? If so, we welcome you with open arms. Typically, parents feel ready about three to five years following the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit experience or loss. Join our growing list of Helping Hands who’ve agreed to share resources and emotional support with a parent new to these challenges. After attending a one time training session (ongoing dates to choose from), you will be matched with a parent whose journey may include a pregnancy experiencing complications, a child or multiples born early, a child born with special health care needs, a loss or any combination of these experiences that may be very similar to your journey. Together, you’ll decide what level of support will be most helpful – from a few quick telephone calls to regular email correspondence and in-person visits. The time commitment will also be determined by your relationship. The Hand to Hold staff will actively make our resources available to help ensure your success and follow-up with you both at regular intervals.
Other Direct Service Roles
In addition to Helping Hand peer mentors, other ways exist to support families in need. Hand to Hold is looking for volunteers who will help staff the Ronald McDonald House Family Room located inside St. David’s North Austin Medical Center/St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas. This family room provides respite to families with a child in the NICU and contains a kitchenette, computers with Internet access, comfy couches, and snacks. Read more and sign up.
Hand to Hold has also begun Cookies and Milk sessions, where former NICU parents bake sweet treats and pay a short visit to local area NICUs to share sweet treats, explain Hand to Hold’s resources, lend an ear and share the unique fellowship of parents who have experienced similar journeys. In addition, preemie moms have begun meeting over coffee at local coffee houses. See more parent socials to get connected.
We also provide baked treats to local NICUs to celebrate Neonatal Nurse Appreciation Day in September.
If you’d like to help by sharing your experience with parents currently in the NICU, Hand to Hold has begun a hospital-based NICU support group. Follow us on Facebook for the latest.
Opportunities occur throughout the year for parents to help us equip local Central Texas NICUs and waiting rooms with helpful resources, information and sibling color books to share more resources to families and make their stay easier.
Trained peer mentor volunteers have served on parent panels to help better educate health professionals about how to better care for families who have had a pregnancy with complications, a baby or multiples born early, one or more babies with special health care needs and those experiencing loss.
Hand to Hold also has convened a Bereavement Task Force for parents who have experienced a loss and who wish to be involved in shaping the development of services and programs specifically for these families.
Contact Erika Goyer at erika [at] handtohold [dot] org to learn more about these opportunities and to volunteer.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Other roles help Hand to Hold expand its outreach to families and raise resources to support the mission. Hand to Hold accepts internship candidates each semester and marketing volunteers for promotional and fundraising activities. We also welcome inquiries for positions on the board, advisory council or Champions for Families. Those interested in charitable athletic events or third-party fundraising opportunities, please contact us.
Tell Your Story
Share a testimonial about your experience with premature birth, in the NICU or with loss. We are eager to receive family stories with before and after pictures, monthly features for the Helping Hand Highlights page and testimonials for our Hear from Families page. Consider entering your child in our annual Preemie Power Photo/Essay Contest which occurs each November to coincide with Prematurity Awareness Month. Contact us to learn more.
What Everyone Needs to Know
Spread the word to friends, colleagues and family members because you never know when our peer support may be needed. Throw your creative tendencies into high gear! We even have a few ideas to get you started.
Connect Through the Volunteer List
If you are not already on Hand to Hold’s list, consider joining our Volunteer list to receive more information, to request a specific volunteer position and to receive regular updates and volunteer needs. Once you join the volunteer list, we will be in contact shortly.
Read our latest Volunteer Update:
