Volunteering is not only a great opportunity to give something back to your community. It also allows you to make new friends, build your social network, keep yourself active, build your confidence, or get something on your CV says Adrienne Picone, CEO of Volunteering Australia.
“When we think about volunteering, we just think about the community sector but volunteering is as broad and diverse as our community.”
“There are volunteering opportunities in sports, in the art, in the emergency services, in the environment, as well as in community welfare and education,” she says.
Where to start
This is a great week to have a go and do something that you really love. Source: Pexels
The best way to start to get involved is to go online and check out the Volunteering Australia website. The organisation has set up an online initiative called ‘Go Volunteer’ which allows you to search over 8,000 organisations across Australia and filter opportunities by cause, interest, availability, and time commitment.
“There’s really something out there for everybody, no matter what you’re interested in or what kind of role you’d like to play,” says Ms Picone.
Each capital city has a Volunteer Resource Centre or volunteer peak body that will point you in the right direction.
Make a donation of time
Giving money to an organisation is quite common and of course, that really helps in the important work that they do. But Ms Picone shares donating time is just an important way to make a contribution.
“When we make a donation of time, we can improve the quality of life for the recipients of our volunteering, we can spread the word about the good work and bring awareness about the good work that the organisation does and also we could be of great benefit to the community.”
Source: Volunteering Australia Facebook
National Volunteer Week
Volunteering Australia says six million formal volunteers make an estimated annual contribution of $290 billion to our economic and social good.
This week, National Volunteer Week is a great opportunity to say thank you to those 6 million Australians who dedicate their time in various sectors, organisations, and communities across countries.
“I think we should be saying thank you every day. But really this is the way that we can shine a spotlight on to the volunteers.”
“Everybody has mixed experience of benefits of volunteering, this is a great week to have a go and do something that you really love.”
National Volunteer Week Events
Need a reason to just get out of the house? From 20–26 May 2019, there will be a series of events that will be held across the country which include breakfasts, morning/afternoon teas, and luncheons, as well as open days, award ceremonies, picnics, forums, and training sessions.
Find out more about what’s happening near you and how you could participate. https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/get-involved/nvw/nvw-events/
National Volunteer Week takes place across Australia from 20 to 26 May.
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