National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering and the theme “Something for Everyone” provides an invitation to explore opportunities and emphasises that there is a place for everyone.
This special event provides an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in our community and invites people not currently volunteering to give it a go.
Volunteering is an important part of the East Gippsland community and the Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House acknowledged its 110 plus volunteers with a luncheon last Wednesday in the Community Garden at the house.
Included was light entertainment from a poet who provided some inspiring words on volunteering during the scrumptious meal.
A huge diverse range of volunteers attended unfortunately a few were missing due to their other commitments, including the Swifts Creek P-12 School and TAFE VCAL students, who travel to the house to become involved in volunteering.
They learn about what is available within the community including mentoring from the house volunteers, an outstanding opportunity for these young people.
Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House offers a variety of opportunities not only at its base but externally with many fundraising events for community members to feel active, whilst earning a sense of pride, by giving back to the community.
The organisers at the house, appreciate the unique skills, talents, passions, and interests that volunteers can offer to encourage the growth of services and programs.
Volunteering opportunities for the Rotary Junior Community Awards conducted via local primary schools in the area again providing an insight into philanthropic service within our community and the acts of empathy, kindness and compassion to vulnerable people in the community.
Volunteering at the Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House may come working in the community kitchen within the meals program, which produces remote rural meals for Bush Nursing Centres across East Gippsland.
Volunteers also help out with Opportunity Shop duties to raise funds for the much needed funds for the centre, or assist in the various programs and services, including Homeless Response, Rural Minds Mental Health, Community Garden, Toy Library, Emergency Food Services, health/fitness and art/craft classes.
The Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House certainly fit the “Something for Everyone” theme of this year National Volunteer Week.
Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House, chief executive officer, Leanne Jennings reported this week, that an independently report from last year, highlighted the houses input to our community.
If costed out at $25.00 per hour, the volunteer wage bill would have reached a staggering $5,601,579.00, capturing the value the amazing work the volunteers do everyday.
This dollar value, not capturing the benefits to the volunteers who may be on a journey in their life, experiencing mental or physical health issues that volunteering can help them become part of the team, to share and care with that journey.
Everyone is part of the team at the Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House, providing vibrant, responsive, and flexible service to the East Gippsland community and beyond.
