National Volunteer Week 2017

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These six volunteers generously give up their time to support Mission Australia’s services

This week we celebrate National Volunteer Week by acknowledging the huge contribution made by our 3,790 community and corporate volunteers.

Amazingly, these volunteers give 210,000 hours of their time supporting Mission Australia’s services each year.

Here’s an insight into the work of six of our fabulous volunteers and why they choose to donate their time.

Peter, Cringila Warehouse, NSW

Peter has been volunteering with Mission Australia for six years as part of the Bags of Rags project in Cringila, NSW. His role involves turning unsellable clothing into cleaning rags. He cuts them up and bags them ready for sale.

I volunteer to keep motivated, occupied and mentally simulated. I have made lots of new friends and it’s a way to give back to the community, said Peter

By turning the old clothes into rags he is ensuring that tons of waste is diverted from landfill every year.

Wayne, Roma House, QLD

Wayne was a previous client of Roma House, and has transitioned to become a valued and long term volunteer in the kitchen team. He’s been with us since 2011.

I decided to volunteer to show my gratitude for the help Mission Australia gave me. It gives me something to do and I meet a lot of interesting people. It keeps me fit, and sometimes it can be quite fun! said Wayne

Jennifer, Bellambi Op-shop, NSW

I have been volunteering for seven years at Mission Australia op-shops. I started in Wollongong, moved to Thirroul and now I work at Bellambi, said Jennifer

Jennifer tidies and cleans the store, trains new volunteers, serves customers and maintains the shop’s budget.

Before she began volunteering, Jennifer was completing a retail certificate at TAFE and decided she wanted to get some further experience. She loves it so much, she’s never left!

“From when I started in Wollongong, I enjoyed how friendly the staff were. You’re always meeting new people, whether they’re customers or new volunteers and we always have a laugh. I also get real satisfaction from knowing that I’m helping people in need,” said Jennifer.

Carmelo, YASS, WA

Carmelo is one of our volunteer handy men! He fixes items that are either falling apart or broken and describes himself as a ‘natural scrounger’ who likes sourcing bits and pieces to help with repairs.

I retired three years ago and after going through the “I don’t have to get up today” phase, travelling and fixing up the house, I decided to find some tasks that I thought were of value and see if I could find a fit for myself. The result is spending time at YASS House with Mission Australia, said Carmelo

Carmelo enjoys using his problem solving skills to support youth workers and provide a safe and secure environment for the young people they work with.

Ruby Anne and Maria , Darwin Sobering Up Shelter, NT

Ruby Anne and Maria have taken on volunteer roles in archiving client notes. This is an enormous job with approximately 8,000 files to be uploaded to MACSIMS and then filed for archiving.

They have both applied themselves to the role, and since starting in February, have the process down to an impressive 10 minutes per file! Ruby Anne had been out of work due to an injury and wanted to continue to learn and gain experience in IT. She is described by the team as bright and bubbly.

I enjoy it because all the people here are very friendly and very understanding and I’m learning a lot. It’s helping build my confidence back up again, said Ruby

Maria was a client of Mission Australia and was looking for a workplace to support her disability. When the opportunity came up to volunteer, her case manager asked if she was interested and she said yes straight away.

“I haven’t worked with computers for a long time, but I’ve slowly improved and am learning more about what surrounds me,” said Maria. Maria is also an excellent cook and shares Filipino dishes with the team, which is very welcomed!

Interested in volunteering for Mission Australia?

Volunteer today