Volunteer recognition

For the past 13 years, Cheryl Hobbs has been a dedicated volunteer at Iramoo Community Centre, committing her time and energy weekly to support various activities. Her contributions range from managing the centre's supermarket and kitchen supplies to assisting with community events. Her efforts help ensure that the centre’s playgroups and other services run smoothly.

When asked about the best part of volunteering, Cheryl shares, "Working with the staff, helping at events, and being part of the team is incredibly rewarding." She finds great joy in being a part of the vibrant community atmosphere that the centre fosters. "I enjoy volunteering—it makes me feel good, and I love helping," Cheryl adds with a smile, revealing how much she looks forward to her volunteer shifts. Her husband even jokes that she never stops talking about her experiences when she returns home.

One of her favourite memories is from the first senior's high tea event, where beautifully tiered cake stands filled with different foods delighted everyone. "Seeing the community members' faces light up when we set them up on their tables was wonderful," she fondly recalls.

Cheryl’s passion and enthusiasm for volunteering continue to shine through her work at the Iramoo Community Centre, creating memorable moments for everyone involved.

Robert has been volunteering for over three years, with the past 14 months focused on mentoring at Kids First, an organization that recently merged with WhiteLion. In this role, he provides one-on-one support to young people, helping them develop essential life skills and instill values like honesty, integrity, and respect. His commitment has led to deep connections, offering much-needed stability and guidance.

In addition to mentoring, Robert volunteers twice a week at the Breakfast Club at the Dulap Williams facility in Sunbury, where he prepares and serves meals to children, ensuring they start their day well-nourished. Robert’s journey in volunteering began with the State Emergency Service (SES), where he developed a strong commitment to community service.

The best thing about volunteering for Robert is seeing the positive impact he can have on a young person's life. "When I see a smile on their face or when they tell me I'm their constant, it's hard to put into words just how much that means to me," he shares. Volunteering makes Robert feel good, knowing that his efforts are helping others understand the importance of values and consistency in life.

One of Robert's favourite memories is mentoring a young person who dreams of becoming a chef and traveling to Italy. This young person has even expressed a desire to take Robert along on this journey, a testament to the deep connection they've built in a short time.

For over 30 years, Judy has been a dedicated volunteer across various organisations, always serving her community. Her extensive involvement includes being a member of the WRAC, Director at Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre, Koling Wada-ngal‘s  board member and a board member at the Victoria Aboriginal board in Geelong, which recently extended its boundaries to include Wyndham. Additionally, Judy is back on the Victorian Aboriginal Language Board. “If there's anything to do with the community, you’ll likely find me involved,” Judy says.

Judy's passion for her people drives her volunteer work. She emphasises the importance of supporting other Aboriginal people’s growth in growing their identity and well-being. "By volunteering, it makes me also feel valued. Working with people makes me feel valued as well. I don’t do it because I want to feel like a big shot, but it makes me feel whole. Working with my community makes me a whole person, not just part of a person," Judy explains.

Volunteering gives Judy a sense of warmth and belonging. She describes the experience as feeling connected as a person. “You’re not just one person; you’re part of a wider group, and it makes you feel good." Judy takes immense pride in helping others grow and be stronger, combating the widespread issue of people undervaluing themselves these days.

One of Judy's favourite memories is the simple act of giving someone a hug and seeing their smile. "Just to put a smile on somebody’s face, and by putting a smile on their face, they put a smile on your own face," Judy shares. For Judy, it’s these small moments of connection and joy that make her volunteer work truly special.

Parniyan Kohzad started her volunteering journey in October 2017 at the Hoppers Crossing Vinnies op shop, enriching lives with her caring spirit. After moving from Afghanistan and working in childcare Parniyan, known locally as Par, found deep fulfillment in giving back to her community through volunteering.

Though English is not her first language, Par was eager to learn and quickly found her niche in the accessories department. With a warm smile and kind demeanor, she carefully prepares the shop's selection of scarves, belts, hats and gloves for sale. Whether merchandising summer hats for tots, fancy fascinators for the Melbourne Cup, or cozy winter beanies, she ensures every item is in top condition, properly priced and beautifully presented for customers. But Par's impact extends far beyond tidying - she brings joy to everyone she interacts with through her warm personality and thoughtful service.

"The best thing is making people happy," Par shared. One of her most cherished memories was assisting a young lady with a disability to try on scarves. Seeing the woman's gratitude and delight filled Par with immense satisfaction.

Volunteering allows Par to leave any personal troubles behind and embrace a welcoming, supportive environment. Shop manager Sue remarks, "She comes in cheerful, even when facing difficulties... voicing a concern, then saying 'This is what I can do.' Parniyan's resilient spirit and enthusiasm for helping others make her an invaluable volunteer in our Team.”

From 20 to 26th May we celebrate National Volunteer Week, and this year the theme is “something for everyone”. Jean Bohmer would agree with this statement, and that volunteering can be as much or as little as you have time for. And Jean would know, she has been volunteering for more than 70 years!

Having recently been recognised at the Victorian Volunteering Awards for Volunteer Impact, Jean has always found a way to integrate volunteering into her busy life. At 88 years of age Jean has shown that you can always find a way to help that suits your lifestyle. Jean now writes bereavement cards and letters, on behalf of Melbourne City Mission Palliative Care, to family and friends of those who have recently passed away. “Every time I seal an envelope, I feel the connection to those people – and connection is what makes me feel I belong and that I have a purpose”.

For those people who are struggling to juggle work, family and financial commitments, Jean says, “Give what you can - even if it’s just showing some kindness to someone while you’re out and about, it makes you feel connected and helps you to forget your own worries.”

If you would like to help your community by volunteering in a more formal role, visit

www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/volunteering

.

Kelly and her dog, Spike, are a big hit with the children at Saltwater P-9 College!  Once a week during school term, Kelly and Spike spend one-on-one time with a select group of students who may need a little extra help with their reading.  Each session lasts for approximately 20 minutes and books are selected to suit the student’s reading level and interest.  The Story Dogs Program aims to create a safe, fun, supportive, non-judgemental environment for primary school aged children needing assistance with literacy.  “Spike loves all the attention from the children and often sits between me and the child to listen to the story” says Kelly.  “The children feel safe; there is no pressure and no judgement – we just let them read, and it’s amazing to see the students’ confidence levels soar!”

Kelly stumbled across Story Dogs at last year’s Wyndham Volunteer Expo and signed up on the spot.  Story Dogs are hoping to be present at this year’s Expo on Saturday 11th May at Encore Event Centre, so consider popping along to find out how you can get involved.  “We desperately need more dogs and volunteers – there is a huge demand out there,” says Kelly.

“You rarely experience a student spending their whole morning asking when it’s their turn for their session so they can read to their pal, Spike!”  In return for her time, Kelly (and no doubt Spike too!), feel a great sense of satisfaction seeing the students improve, gain confidence, and start to love reading.

To find out more about Story Dogs, visit https://www.storydogs.org.au/ or to come along to the Volunteer Expo, visit https://www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/wyndham-volunteer-expo.

To help your local community, visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/volunteering.

Whilst scrolling through her Facebook feed, Julie Connell discovered a community event happening at Point Cook Coastal Park and decided to go along and take a look – after all, this was her backyard and cleaning up the area seemed like a good activity to be involved in. Twelve months later, Julie is now the main organiser of that group she first attended – LoveOurStreet Point Cook. 

Meeting once a month for just an hour, the group of likeminded volunteers clean up litter around the waterways of Point Cook and what better way to keep your mental and physical health and wellbeing in check – fresh air, social connection, exercise and feeling rewarded!

Since last February, the group has collected 237kg of rubbish and grown from 6 participants to 41.  “We’re all in this together” says Julie. “We can make a huge impact on our local patch and along the way, make friendships and care for the environment”.  “The group is diverse in age and culture - I even have one couple who are teaching me Korean whilst we pick up litter”, says Julie.

Julie acknowledges that using her organisational skills has made her role very easy and satisfying.  “It’s important to know your skill set, what you’d like to achieve through volunteering and then identify the right role – that way you’ll absolutely love it”.

If you would like to join a local litter group, contact Werribee River Association at admin@werribeeriver.org.au or visit https://werribeeriver.org.au/volunteer-with-us/litter-groups/.

If you would like to help your community, visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/volunteering.

There are nearly 500 parkrun events around Australia taking place every weekend.  It is a free community event, run completely by volunteers, where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate.  The Wyndham Vale parkrun meets at Presidents Park every Saturday at 8am and today, we are putting the spotlight on volunteer, Louise Finlay, who believes volunteering makes you feel great and can lead to lifelong friendships!  “I might see a mum struggling to take part in the activity and I’ll offer to help out and take care of her child”, says Louise.  “I know of one family who brought along their newborn baby, and now he’s running in the event himself, breaking new ‘personal bests’ all the time!”

Louise is a favourite at Wyndham Vale parkrun and has been consistently volunteering for several years.  “You don’t have to be the most social or outgoing person to volunteer, it’s just nice to help others and show kindness” says Louise.

At Wyndham Vale parkrun, there are lots of opportunities to try new roles, apply your skills or learn new ones.  You might prefer to come along and walk/run each week and then put your hand up to help on occasion, or you may have an injury which prevents you from taking part in the activity but are able to scan barcodes or be a timekeeper.

For more information, visit www.parkrun.com.au/wyndhamvale or to help your local community, visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/volunteering.

Louise believes “if you smile at someone, you might just get a smile back”!

Zach Thornton, a lifelong Wyndham resident, believes being on a committee can “give a great sense of fulfilment, whilst providing invaluable experience in the world of business and admin”. 

When he first joined the Tarneit Football Club committee 5 years ago, Zach provided a helping hand, but wasn’t sure how he could add value, or what was involved.  That has all changed in the last couple of years as Zach’s full-time job provided him with some great skills that could be transferred to his role on the Committee at the Tarneit Football Club. 

Not only does he cover events, sponsorship, admin, merchandise, match day and operations, but he is also the Club Secretary and facilitates full-club training sessions. The Club is always looking for more help in delivering some of these tasks. “You don’t have to play at the Club or have a child playing to be involved.

We have lots of interesting volunteer roles from social media and admin, to managing events”, said Zach.  “Volunteering gives you purpose and a sense of pride”.

Contact the Club via https://www.facebook.com/tarneitfootballclub or email enquiries@tarneittitansfc.com.au.

If you would like to help your community, visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/volunteering.

Not long after moving to Werribee in 2000, Cheryl became full-time carer for her mum.  Following her mum’s passing in 2006, Cheryl felt isolated and lost – she had not had any time to foster new friendships or connect with her local community.  One day when visiting the local library, she noticed a Wyndham City flier promoting an information session on volunteering.  The rest is history, as they say, as 15 years later she is still volunteering in the same role she applied for all those years ago!

As a volunteer with the Visitor Information Centre, located at the entrance to Werribee Zoo, Cheryl has provided travel advice to thousands of visitors to Werribee and talked to them about places to visit locally.  “It has been great for me as it opened many doors.  I started to connect with people in the community and before I knew it, I had joined the garden club, water aerobics and a choir!” says Cheryl, “once you make that first step into volunteering, you’ll never look back!”

International Volunteer Day is celebrated on the 5th of December and recognises the contribution of volunteers worldwide.  Wyndham City would like to acknowledge and thank Wyndham community members who "may not necessarily have the time, they just have the heart". 

If you would like to help your community, visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/volunteering.

Musarrat Saiyed has lived in many countries and as a ‘global citizen’, she is accustomed to all kinds of diversity through language, culture, and religion.  “You become so open to other viewpoints and opinions and understand where people are coming from” says Musarrat, “that it makes you humble, and the diversity and acceptance just becomes a part of you”.

Within a year of moving to Australia (Tarneit), the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and Musarrat remembers reading about the hardship people in her community were facing.  In response to this, she set about establishing a not-for-profit organisation called Pulse with Purpose and one of the first projects was to offer halal food relief.  Some years later, Musarrat now engages a team of volunteers from different cultures and backgrounds, to prepare, cook and in some cases, deliver, over 70 meals per week.  Operating out of Dianella Community Centre in Tarneit, Musarrat and her volunteers offer a global cuisine with traditional meals from many different countries.  Not only do community members receive food - they also receive a listening ear, a smile, and a hug. “When you smile at someone and they smile back, you are filled with a moment of happiness” says Musarrat.

Pulse with Purpose also engages young people as volunteers to tutor children from high school.  Called ‘Study Circle’, this program offers support and learning assistance for young people whose migrant families may struggle to follow and understand the Australian secondary school curriculum.

When asked what motivates her to volunteer her time, Musarrat responded “it gives meaning to your life and helps you to be mentally healthy.  What we give others, is what we truly earn”.

If you would like to know more about volunteering with Pulse with Purpose and their projects, contact pulsewithpurpose@gmail.com or follow on https://www.facebook.com/pulsewpurpose.

If you would like to help your community, visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/volunteering.

During October, Wyndham is hosting a multitude of free or low-cost events to celebrate the state-wide Seniors Festival.  This year’s theme ‘Learn. Live. Love’ is something Heather Curtis would say you gain from volunteering. 

Heather moved to Wyndham in 2010 and one of the first things she did was sign up to volunteer with Wyndham Council.  “I’ve had a few roles in that time, but Lunch with the Bunch holds a special place in my heart and I’m still doing it, 12 years later” says Heather.  The Lunch with the Bunch program involves taking independent, older adults, or people with disabilities, to a group lunch in the Wyndham area. “It’s such a great program and so nice to see how happy the clients are catching up with friends over a meal. I absolutely love making that happen” says Heather. 

On one occasion, two clients came together who realised they hadn’t seen each other for 22 years and this program bought them together through chance.  “They ended up rekindling their friendship and that made me feel so pleased” says Heather.  “I always feel so contented and joyful at the end of my shift”.

To find out about volunteering in Wyndham, and more specifically roles at Council, visit www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/volunteering.