My work is a privilege, I reassure people that there is no shame in needing support

Being welcomed into the homes of those in need is a humbling experience for Janet Tynan, a Cork-based volunteer with St Vincent de Paul, and one that often puts her own concerns into perspective

St Vincent de Paul volunteer Janet Tynan’s choice of charity was inspired by her mother, while her father sparked her interest in volunteering. Picture: Noel Sweeney

A desire to give back coincided with wanting “to have a bit of time out of an evening” 14 years ago for Janet Tynan, at that time a stay-at-home mum to two teens and a tween.

The urge to help led Tynan to volunteer with St Vincent de Paul (SVP), an organisation she’d grown up hearing her mother talk about — in particular the story of a widow left with six children during the 1940s who lived near Tynan’s mum.

“She used to say SVP were very discreet, they’d go in quietly, helping the mother with food or a few bob. That really resonated with me — this organisation doing good, but doing it very much under the radar.”

Based in Kerry Pike, near Blarney, Tynan works with SVP on Cork City’s northside. “I meet up one evening a week with the other conference members. We discuss the calls that came in that week and how best to help. We split up in pairs and visit the homes — a conference of six, there’ll be three cars going out.”

With some idea of what the need is from the initial contact, for example, assistance with food or energy bills — “energy’s becoming a big issue now” — the visit yields more information about what is needed. “Maybe something’s more of an issue than we realised, or they need a different support.”

Between the pre-visit discussion and the visits themselves, the volunteer’s input could be up to four hours of an evening. Tynan says it can take several visits before people become less guarded. “You might get a phone call from someone saying a family member needs help, and when you ring, the person themselves is very angry, they don’t want the help — they’re very proud but in a difficult situation.

“As a volunteer, there’s work involved before you even meet them — in reassuring them there’s no shame in getting a little support, and we could all find ourselves in tough times.”

Tynan finds the experience humbling. “For someone to accept you into their home, to feel comfortable sharing difficult subjects with a stranger — because that’s what you are initially — is an extremely brave thing to do. And you have to see it as a privilege — they’re allowing you to hold space for them.”

In some cases, Tynan finds that what the person needs is to be listened to and heard. “A lot of people feel invisible — they feel disempowered and that their voices aren’t recognised. We come in, sit, listen, empathise — you don’t have to agree with them but you’re sharing space. That can be transformative.

And if you sit with someone long enough and they start talking, it’s like the floodgates open, it all comes pouring out — and you see the pain, stress, leave their face.

Tynan does Pilates and yoga several times weekly and has trained as a clinical hypnotherapist. She loves visiting older people. “I never come away without feeling I’ve learned something.”

She recalls an 89-year-old approaching SVP for food just before Christmas. “I thought ‘the man’s nearly 90, I’m sure his bones are cold’. I said, ‘The bit of heat doesn’t go astray’. I organised coal for him.

“A few days later, he rang into the regional office in Tuckey Street. He thanked us for the heat — he hadn’t asked for it or the coal. The thing is, you never actively want thanks but when it comes it’s beautiful — as a volunteer, you feel like you’ve been seen.”

Tynan has never forgotten her initial years volunteering for SVP when she’d leave her home, her head swirling with parental worries — ‘have I the lunches made? he never did his homework’ — and return just hours later feeling immense gratitude.

“Maybe I’d have come from a house with a child with a terminal illness, and I’d feel I don’t have a thing to complain about.”

While her mum might have inspired her choice of charity, Tynan believes her late dad, Jerry, sparked the volunteering instinct in her. Along with a few friends, he organised outings for long-term patients of St Anne’s Hospital, who were living with mental ill-health. “He’d round up the boys, his friends. They’d chip in their own money, and they’d come with their motors — ‘Let’s take these patients out, give them a bit of fresh air, a break’.”

She recalls her dad bringing her along once as a young teen to help with the Christmas party he and his friends were organising in St Anne’s Hospital. “We put up a Christmas tree, tinsel, and balloons. We had paper hats, sandwiches, cakes, and Tanora. Some of the people were very unwell. I don’t recall music, but I remember how happy everybody was, the loud chatter, everybody laughing, so much engagement, and the patients very animated.

“That experience made me realise how giving your time and helping others feels so good.”

St Vincent de Paul South-West is encouraging people in Cork city to consider volunteering just two to three hours a week to support families in need through its home visitation service. Currently, SVP has approximately 263 members active across the city — increased demand for services means more volunteers are needed.

Home visitation volunteers provide non-judgemental, confidential support to individuals and families, offering a listening ear and helping to assess their needs and connect them with appropriate assistance — a service SVP has delivered in Cork city for more than 180 years.

SVP South-West regional president Mary Frances Behan says volunteering with SVP is about offering time, patience and a sympathetic ear. “You don’t need specialist skills — just common sense, empathy and a willingness to listen. Every visit is a small act of kindness. Add up all those small acts, and they make a real, lasting difference to people across the city.”

• Prospective volunteers are supported throughout the application process, including training and guidance from SVP staff. Due to the role’s sensitivity, Garda vetting, references and an application process are required. See: svp.ie/ways-to-help/volunteer-with-svp