Former Birthright boy comes back to help others

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 15

Former Birthright boy comes back to help others

Many of the children from one-parent families who have been helped by the Birthright organisation are now repaying this by becoming Birthright counsellors themselves. "As they get older these children realise and appreciate how Birthright helped them through what might have been a bad time. Now many of the children from families we visited in our early days are coming back to Birthright offering to help others,” says Ray Mathews, secretary of Birthright.

A recent example'was the 24-year-old man. a former Birthright boy who wrote offering to be a Birthright counsellor. “I want to help because I feel I should." he said. The offer was accepted. "As a boy and as a teenager I relied oi) the Birthright visitor who came to our ; house. I did not always want to admit it then but it was comforting to know that I and my family had somebody to turn to. Now I would like to help some other one parent family,” he says.

Mr Mathews said this attitude is not uncommon. Now that the society has been operating for 26 years many who were young children in its early days are today businessmen or in good jobs. "Several are helping us with our two biggest needs — finance and volunteer counsellors.” The counsellors visit oneparent families who seek Birthright’s assistance to provide advice and help where needed. Sometimes a family needs financial or material help but, more often, it is for advice on the

many problems which face parents and growing children. Both men and women are needed as volunteer counsellors. Each works with two or three families who have requested the help of Birthright. There are 36 Birthright branches around the country, and volunteer counsellors work through these with families in their own area. Birthright's work with families is strictly confidential.