Why do people volunteer? People choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. For many, it offers the chance to give something back to the community or make a difference to the people around them. For some, it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build existing experience and knowledge. For others it’s a way to give back to an organisation that has helped them in tough times. Regardless of the motivation, what unites them all is that they find it both challenging and rewarding.

Volunteering also helps us tremendously in maintaining a positive attitude while we job search and bolsters our health, self esteem and joy of life. Of course, volunteering also touches other people’s lives besides our own. We can change other people’s lives while we also help ourselves at the same time. Being a volunteer can improve your skills, help you make new friends, and is even good for the mind and body. Through volunteering, you can make a significant contribution, remain an active participant in life, and often enhance your work skills.

At Uniting Country SA, we have been celebrating National Volunteers Week (18-24^th May 2020), across each of our locations.

We painted signs on windows, held small group gatherings, decorated front fences and caught up with nearly all volunteers, either by phone, text or in person. Volunteers are the lifeblood and backbone of our organisation, we simply would not succeed without them.  

Volunteers contribute to deliver programs like Low Income Support, the Port Pirie Community Foodhub, Peterborough Community Pantry, Port Pirie Community Centre, Parham Centre, Communities for Children Program and our Goods at Gertrude store.  They help us with administration, cooking meals, driving, data entry, answering telephones, conduct TAX help and help with planning events.

This year’s National Volunteers Week theme was Changing Communities, Changing Lives.
National Volunteer Week is the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our Nation’s volunteers. At this uncertain time, we feel that it is more important than ever to recognise and acknowledge Australia’s volunteers.

All our volunteers should feel great about themselves because they help Uniting Country SA achieve their We are truly in awe of the generosity of our Volunteers, and we look forward to having all our wonderful volunteers back. We will see you all soon.

 

By Kylie Crouch
Volunteer Coordinator