“We talk, we laugh, we swap stories about our lives and on the rare occasion we even cry – but that’s what friendship is all about.”
That’s how Jing Zhang describes the very real interactions she makes with the older people she connects with in her role as a volunteer at Uniting AgeWell’s Social Connections Program.
She’s been in the role for two and a half years – first visiting clients in their homes in the Burwood area and recently switching to the Chat a Ring program where she connects with a client over regular phone calls. The main thing is that the connections she makes are real. There’s no artifice, no pretending. Just friendship.
Jing, who lives in southeast Melbourne, recalls one client who used to wait in the front garden for her to arrive. “Sometimes we’d go out for coffee, but we used to chat for hours. She was also a migrant, but although she was from Eastern Europe and I am from China, we had so much in common and had shared so many similar experiences, like our love for music and philosophy.”
Jing was raised in China, studied her Master in Science in the UK and worked as an auditor before relocating to Melbourne five years ago. She came with her husband and children, and is now studying a Masters of Applied Behaviour Analysis at Monash University while working part time in doing early intervention for children on the autism spectrum in a clinic.
“I am far away from my parents and grandparents, so connecting with these older clients gives me an opportunity to contribute to the local community by helping people with diverse backgrounds, like myself, better integrate into society,” she says. “I like to think I make a difference to their lives too.”
Jing is enjoying life in Australia too. “The work-life balance is so much better here. In China everything is very fast paced. You don’t have much time to spend with families or friends.”
She is also thrilled with the support and training that the Social Connections Team at Uniting AgeWell have given her in this volunteering role.
Our Social Connection Program is led by Volunteers, who provide meaningful support through a range of activities including:
- Local group outings
- Special interest groups
- One on one visits
- Phone-based connections
- Centre-based activities
- Community Transport (Grampians)
Whether it’s enjoying a conversation over a cup of coffee at someone’s home, learning a new hobby together or getting out and about in the community to do something fun, we have an opportunity for everyone. Our volunteers have such a positive impact on the people they connect with and their local communities.
Find out more about our volunteering programs