An event we all look forward to each year is National Volunteer Week. Taking place from 16 – 22 May, it’s an opportunity for communities and organisations from across Australia to place volunteers in the spotlight and celebrate their contribution and the difference they make in our lives.
Fittingly, Better Together is the theme for this year’s National Volunteer Week celebrations, reflecting on how volunteering brings people together and helps build communities and a better society for everyone.
The past couple of years have been particularly challenging for our volunteers as COVID-19 restrictions vastly reduced their capacity to attend our services and programs; an absence keenly felt by our residents, clients and staff alike.
The difference our volunteers make to the people we serve and the support they provide to the Uniting AgeWell team is deeply valued, and as we navigate the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we plan to do this with the active involvement of our volunteers.
Uniting AgeWell General Manager People and Culture Gen Toop says being a volunteer creates a sense of purpose, provides great joy in giving back and is a social outlet and a way of making new friends.
Volunteering opens hearts, minds and doors. And there is no age limit on volunteering. One of our oldest volunteers was a resident, Doris, who shaved her head to support breast cancer awareness at the age of 99 and had a pink ribbon tattooed on her shoulder when she was 100.
Many students volunteer for intergenerational programs at residential homes, like the students at Claremont College who visit residents at the Rosetta Communities of Strathaven and Strathglen in Tasmania, and write up their life stories.
The joy of volunteering is best summed up by retired carpenter Pete Slattery who is loving helping out in the Men's Shed at Uniting AgeWell Centre in Hawthorn.
“We are put on this earth to help others,” Pete, 80, explains. “It’s wonderful to be able to assist people to enjoy themselves and learn new skills.”
And follow the unfolding stories of the week via facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/UnitingAgeWell<
Read our volunteer stories Follow us on Facebook to catch each of our volunteer stories this week