Omer is a friendly, familiar face at our centre, one of our refugee friends who volunteers with our activities for other refugees. One part of his volunteering work is helping with Acupuncture sessions every Wednesday, when volunteers offer Acupuncture and relaxation sessions for refugee friends. Victoria sat down with him to talk about his experience volunteering.
Hi Omer! Thanks for sitting down with us. When did you first start volunteering with JRS, and why?
I first started volunteering in September 2022. JRS gave me a lot at a time when I was looking for shelter and food, and so it feels nice to give back to the community. Volunteering also shows me the bright side of things and it makes me feel very grateful for the support we’re able to give each other.
Have you learnt anything from volunteering?
Volunteering has taught me patience despite the obstacles we face. At JRS I meet people who have suffered a lot. Volunteering is an opportunity to help others and offer them a safe space; working with others, my suffering becomes nothing.
At college I’m taking an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) class and as part of this I’m doing a presentation on my voluntary work at JRS. Most of my classmates are surprised by what they hear of the asylum system and have never heard of JRS or the work we do. They’ve all liked what I’ve shared about volunteering though, and are interested in volunteering themselves. It’s nice to represent JRS in this way.
For many years I have had feelings of stiffness in my shoulders.
Since I started receiving acupuncture therapy I have felt much better and the stiffness in my shoulders has decreased.
Acupuncture therapy is also very helpful for breathing exercises and meditation.
Overall, it’s a beneficial therapy for the alleviation of pain and stiffness without any side effects.
Thanks, JRS for providing us with an opportunity for healing.
Abdul
What does your volunteering involve?
I try to get involved in pretty much anything which bears the JRS logo! Officially, I’m a volunteer with the activities department.
This involves setting up the spaces for our refugee activities, preparing and offering refreshments to visitors, and welcoming people as they arrive to the centre. I often find myself lending a listening ear to people who come in for appointments who want to have a chat – they might be sharing good news or bad news and need someone to sit and listen to them as they talk about what they are going through.
I also take part in the activities themselves – activities such as Create & Make or Acupuncture.
Can you tell us more about the Acupuncture sessions? What do refugee friends think of it?
Acupuncture happens most weeks on a Wednesday. Twelve to fourteen friends take part every week, for 20-25 minutes at a time. If our acupuncturists see that the person is particularly relaxed they extend the acupuncture for five minutes, which improves the psychological benefits of the session.
When acupuncture first started at JRS, some refugee friends were anxious at the sight of the needles! The acupuncturists who come down to the centre are great though – they are very helpful and friendly, and really reassure you before the session, and explain to you what’s going to happen.
Everyone who has braved the first session is really keen about acupuncture. You can see that psychologically people feel relaxed and can enter a different headspace. Usually, people who have had acupuncture have a broad smile that lasts for days.
I’ve tried acupuncture myself. It feels like a luxury treatment – after I’ve had it, I always feel really relaxed and reassured. I think it’s a great thing for JRS to offer as part of its activities programme.
