Volunteer Cheryl told us:

I decided to start volunteering when I reduced my work hours. It was something I thought I could do to give back to my community. I teach an art class fortnightly at Vasey RSL Care Bundoora. Little did I know how rewarding it would be, it just makes my heart sing. The residents smile during their class, they chatter away and most times after the class has finished, they stay, they continue to chat and laugh. They are so appreciative of me offering my time to teach them. I know they also love it when I bake and share it with them. Often they ask what I’ve seen in the nature world. I share my photos with them and this keeps them connected to the nature world just outside their door. They always thank me before I leave: sometimes I think I should be thanking them.

We have a wonderful group of volunteers who help us with a range of tasks and activities. Their support is incredibly valuable to the organisation – it really makes a difference to people’s lives. This is especially true in our residential aged care which is where the majority of volunteers offer their help.

What do volunteers do?

Volunteers help with a huge range of things (depending on their preferences and talents) including craft, painting groups, cooking, bus outings, playing music or singing, bingo, Happy hour, men’s groups, barbecues, ‘Big Bob’s Bowls’, Veteran support, drumming, decorating, footy tipping, nail-painting, photography, gardening, library, one-on-one time, hymn singing, knitting group, walking group, pet therapy visits and much more! These vary by site.

We have some vacancies for new volunteers to join our team and we are asking you to think seriously about putting your hand up. Please contact the Lifestyle Team at your preferred site to find out more.