Volunteer translator Sylwia is changing lives

"Not being able to articulate your needs, especially when you’re homeless, would be awful"

Sylwia is a volunteer translator. If we encounter people who speak Polish but not English, we turn to her for help.

She’s been providing over-the-phone translation support for us since August. It allows us to understand Polish clients’ situations and provide the right help.

“It’s really rewarding. Every call I have is meaningful, especially when people start opening up. Not being able to articulate your needs, especially when you’re homeless, would be awful.”

Without Sylwia, Porchlight would have to spend money on professional translation services or resort to less reliable internet services

“Sylwia has helped me to understand my clients’ backgrounds and support needs,” says Porchlight staff member Jackie. “She’s helped me to create good working relations with them and ensure there’s no confusion about things like when and where their appointments are or how they need to proceed to complete a homelessness application.”

Sylwia provides translation support on an ad-hoc. This has been kindly agreed by her employer Southern Housing.

“We were very keen to support Sylwia with this activity as it’s just so valuable to those who may not have English as first language and therefore find it more challenging to access the services they so desperately need,” says Southern Housing’s director of risk and assurance.

“Sylwia’s contribution has been invaluable. In practical terms, the time commitment is not great, but absolutely critical to those receiving the service. We’ve agreed a simple process which allows Sylwia to provide the support to this community without affecting her day-to-day work activities. I’d encourage any other business to support similar arrangements to colleagues who can provide a comparable service.”

Sylwia says she’d encourage anyone to give volunteering a try, adding: “It’s allowed me to give something back and be more involved in my community.”