By Laura BennettWednesday 18 May 2022Hope AfternoonsRelationshipsReading Time: 2 minutes
At face value, volunteering is simply a generous offer of your time and skills to an organisation or cause you care about. In reality though, it goes far beyond that, having a profound affect on our cultural identity.
Speaking to Hope 103.2 for National Volunteers Week, CEO of Volunteering Australia Mark Pearce said, “over the past year we’ve seen a number of things that have required community to come together, for volunteers to be engaged within the communities in which they live, and to help out”.
From the recent floods along Australia’s east coast, to the 2020 bushfires and our health care system’s response to the pandemic, volunteers have been vital.
From the recent floods along Australia’s east coast, to the 2020 bushfires and our health care system’s response to the pandemic, volunteers have been vital.
“While we know that volunteer are everywhere all the time, volunteers are really critical to emergency response, and recovery,” Mark said.
“Over the course of 2020 and 2021 there are about 230,000 volunteers in government emergency services organisations, and an additional 200,000 were involved with over 1000 [external] emergency services organisations.”
The assistance of volunteers has been invaluable to those who seen them clear flood damaged property, or helped them find interim accommodation when needed, but beyond that practical assistance, our choice to volunteer also shows our value for community.
“Volunteering is a profound aspirational statement about the communities in which we live, and how we want them to be,” Mark said.
When you’re trying to decide where to offer your time or skills, “ask yourself, ‘What are the things that I’m passionate about? How do I think I can make a difference to someone’s life or to the betterment of the community?’,” he said.
“Things like healthcare and aged care are desperately in need of volunteers at this point, but equally, so are sporting clubs.
“Volunteering is about a profound connection with community, and it’s the things which you’re passionate about which will be the most enjoyable for you, and the most beneficial for [them].”
Find out more about volunteering via Volunteering Australia.
Listen to the full interview with CEO of Volunteering Australia Mark Pearce in the player above.
How to nurture a volunteer team
Rowan Armstrong is a consultant with Enriched HR, working with churches and not-for-profits to help develop teams. During National Volunteer Week, Rowan spoke with Hope Mornings about how Christian leaders can sustain and value the volunteers they lead.