Nillumbik Shire Council will be acknowledging the valuable contributions of local volunteers by hosting celebrations across National Volunteer Week from 17 – 23 May.
Volunteering can provide career pathways through workplace experience, as well as enabling proven benefits to volunteers in terms of mental and physical health outcomes.
Georgia Vincent volunteers at the Diamond Creek Tram Café with Rotary and has found the experience both supportive and challenging.
“The best thing to come out of volunteering for me? Experience. It makes getting out there feel less big and scary,” she said.
“No matter what age you are, you need a place where you feel welcomed and needed, which is an incredible feeling.
“It’s hard for different people who might have mental illnesses or anxieties to find workplaces which can accommodate those issues – and volunteering can really provide that.”
Volunteering across the state has taken a huge hit during the pandemic, with reports that participation rates have declined by half, and many groups are struggling to recruit new volunteers. Despite this, there are still so many volunteers who contribute their time to help others, and we are seeing more and more young volunteers across Nillumbik pick up the baton to help out in local organisations.
No matter what your passion, interest, skill or ability is, there’s a volunteering opportunity for everyone.
Nillumbik Mayor Peter Perkins is a big supporter of Nillumbik’s thousands of volunteers.
“Volunteering enriches all of our lives and binds our community together – thank-you to all of Nillumbik’s volunteers for all that you do for all of us” he said.
“There are very few aspects of community life in Nillumbik where volunteers are not at the heart,”
