Meet Cassie Wallace, who went from being an unemployed Bachelor of Arts graduate to leading a team at Uniting AgeWell thanks to volunteering.
Cassie, who says she was "sick of sitting at home on my butt for 18 months" started volunteering in an admin role at Uniting AgeWell - and has never looked back.
Cassie started off volunteering one day a week in an admin position, which over time evolved into a full-time role in the rostering team. Now the 31-year-old heads up the team and has recently completed a leadership training course intended to develop emerging leaders.
“You’d be surprised how much volunteering teaches you and how many career doors it opens,” says Cassie.
Volunteering opened advocacy doors for newly-minted Order of Australia Merit Award recipient Ruth Hosking.
Recently Ruth attended an official ceremony at the Governor General’s residence in Melbourne to receive an OAM for her services to aged care. Ruth has racked up a collection of awards since she first started volunteering at Strath-Haven Community in Bendigo nearly 30 years ago, meeting with older people and their families and helping them transition into residential aged care.
The 89-year-old is now on three national committees helping shape the face of aged care in Australia. And following a submission she made to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, is diligently ensuring its recommendations are taken into account.