Country Home Services, Our Contractors
HomeMaid Helpers : The power of choosing kind workers
HomeMaid Helpers is a business that does a lot of work contracting for us in the Barossa and the surrounding areas. Last week, we got the chance to interview Katie, the owner of HomeMaid Helpers, and find out a little more about her business and the fantastic work they do for our clients.
Katie started HomeMaid Helpers at the end of 2017, and what began as a small business for Katie, soon grew to a business that now has 16 staff and they are still recruiting to grow the business even further.
They offer a range of services that include Domestic Assistance, Personal Care, and Social Support, and about 60% of the work they do is for both Aged Care and NDIS clients, while the remaining work is cleaning for private clients and the many B&B places around the Barossa Valley.
However, it is the approach they have when hiring staff for their business that we admire most. Their aim is to find nice people who can interact with others and they are a firm believer in giving people a chance to gain experience in this industry, as they are happy to train them. Especially when they are hiring staff to suit Aged Care or NDIS clients, it is more important that their staff can connect with clients than it is to have lots of experience on their resume. Katie is very much aware that often the clients in our industry need a contractor who is kind and can create a conversation with them as sometimes the contractor is the only social interaction, they might have that day or even week.
I asked Katie what the most rewarding thing about HomeMaid Helpers contracting for us and she replied “The most rewarding thing is seeing our staff connect to our clients. They go above and beyond in the care of their clients. They really do care for these people, and it shows in the notes and calls of appreciation from the clients themselves.”
Country Home Services, Home Care Packages, Wellbeing
Support to stay connected to things you enjoy
Janet is a fan of live theatre productions. She has supported many local amateur theatre productions and has often organised a bus to take groups from the Vines Retirement Village to productions.
When asked about other productions she has enjoyed, she mentioned the Ballet Anna Karenina, however her overall favourite production was Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Last year, through her Home Care Package, we were able to continue to support Janet and her love of the theatre, as she was able to see the Appleton Ladies Potato Race with her contractor.
We’re pleased we could support Janet to keep her connection to things which energise and inspire her!
CHS Community Grants
Connection and Community in the Snowtown Bowling Club
Sports clubs are often the heart of our country towns.
If you happened to drop in to the Snowtown Bowling Club after the season opening, you’d see people of all ages sitting around trestle tables, eating lunch. You’d hear animated conversations and laughter. You’d catch the sense of connection.
It isn’t just about the bowls. It’s about the bag of oranges picked from someone’s backyard and left on the table for all to share. It’s about the talk of how they had each other’s back during Covid-19. It’s about creating space for their community.
The Snowtown Bowling Club saw a need to fix a few things in their space. They received a grant from Country Home Services which enabled them to replace their blinds. “We used to hold up the old blinds with pegs,” laughed Venita Rowan. Lynette Welke, the club’s Secretary, said the grant has helped block out the sun’s heat and helped make the room more welcoming, “It’s made such a difference.”
“The club is here for the whole town,” Lynette and Venita agreed, “Small communities like ours need to work together.”
Snowtown Bowling Club might be in a small community, but it’s a club and a community with a big heart.
