By Georgia FreeTuesday 21 May 2024Hope DriveLifestyleReading Time: 2 minutes
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15: 12-13 (NIV)
Key points:
- Wesley Mission has over 1200 volunteers, in areas ranging from aged care, youth mentoring, emergency relief and community outreach
- Megan encourages other members of the community to consider volunteering – even if they feel they don’t have a lot of spare time.
- Listen to the interview in the player above.
National Volunteering Week is a celebration of the incredible volunteers across the country – and an encouragement for us all to find a way to serve our own communities.
Wesley Mission has over 1200 volunteers, in areas ranging from aged care, youth mentoring, emergency relief and community outreach. They have collectively contributed over 83,000 hours in the last year alone. Megan is Wesley Mission’s newest volunteer – teaching yoga once a week at the School for Seniors in Sydney.
“I felt I had a skill that would help [older] people to connect, keep fit and learn new skills,” Megan told Hope Drive.
“I felt like I could give something back.
“I always love that feeling.”
Wesley Mission has over 1200 volunteers, from aged care, youth mentoring, emergency relief and community outreach
Megan admits that when she first started, she was prepared to adapt her regular yoga syllabus to fit an older audience, but she needn’t have worried.
“When I started, I tried to tread quite softly, as I thought a lot of them may not have been as strong or flexible,” Megan said.
“But there’s a wide variety of people in the classes, which is really cool to see.”
Megan has also been welcomed into the fold quickly – and the community at the School for Seniors is a welcome relief from her busy routine.
“The team at the School for Seniors are so encouraging. They’ve got the time [to chat], and connections between them all, so it’s been really lovely.”
Want to volunteer?
Megan encourages other members of the community to consider volunteering – even if they feel they don’t have a lot of spare time or a particular skill.
“For me, I do it in my lunch hour, once a week,” Megan says.
Megan encourages other members of the community to consider volunteering.
“That’s the only time that I have, but I really feel like it’s giving back to something that’s about more than me.”
Wesley Mission are currently looking for more volunteers. Whether you’re drawn to community outreach, want to advocate for social change, provide emergency relief, visit an older person, or mentor young people, there is a place for everyone at Wesley Mission. Call Wesley Mission on 02 9857 2678 or email volunteering@wesleymission.org.au.
Listen to the interview in the player above.
To find out more about volunteering opportunities, visit the Wesley Mission website.
Feature image: Photo by CanvaPro