In the age of digital overload, brimmed schedules, and competing interests, many of us despair to find that our genuine philanthropic desires can get pushed aside in the absence of helpful guides that can convert our community-oriented goals into real practice. That’s why I think Volunteens is an extraordinary platform that can curb the load of locating a volunteering opportunity and rather allow you to soak into service more meaningfully and efficiently.
I personally started volunteering through high school, owing to our school’s established and forward-focused service committee, and after joining service clubs at school, ventured into the community to engage more closely with disadvantaged groups. Particularly, in years 11-12, alongside captaincy of Save the Children and membership in Second Chance, I volunteered each holiday at Childhood Cancer Support, a family-founded facility for families battling childhood cancer, located in Herston, Brisbane. As the sole holiday program volunteer, my assistance went a long way in organising interactive activities for the children and preparing morning tea for their families. Often a period of intensive cancer treatment, the school holidays can be a very exhausting time for families, and thus I felt very privileged to be a part of brightening up their day, by fostering a welcoming environment in the community centre. I had numerous heart-warming experiences with the children that I met, including those that made me smiley faces out of butcher’s paper and paddle pop sticks, pizzas with extra toppings, and tie-dyed shirts, with their giddy, beaming faces winning my heart even more than their generous gifts! Learning about the roles of different physicians, allied health staff, mental support workers, accommodation and OT staff, through my experience at the centre, also really kickstarted my interest in pursing healthcare. Inspired by the children’s resilience and optimism in the face of adversity, I have learned the importance of valuing the positives in life and expressing gratitude to the special people around me.
In addition, my volunteering at Brisbane Central State School Reading Club, another rewarding opportunity, found me mentoring a plethora of young children with their literacy skills and comprehension. I shared many happy and ‘light-bulb’ moments with my buddies, as they grasped the meaning of a new word, made a conceptual link, or formed an opinion about a character. Honing my clarity, patience, and assertion when teaching younger students was a key takeaway from my time here, and was invaluable in my later pursuit of tutoring.
Being a House Service Captain in my final year of school fostered the means to inform students in my house of rewarding service opportunities and connect with them through service. With Cherish Foundation as our chosen house charity, my co-captain and I collaborated with students and staff alike to organise bake-stalls, displays, infographics, and speeches, to emphasise the importance of health vigilance and ways to support women experiencing cervical cancer beyond our school gates.
Every new opportunity I’ve had to volunteer, whether it be preparing food for the homeless, meeting fellow volunteers while peeling carrots, reading Billie B Brown to a Year 2 student, helping a five year old make a Lego house, chalking silhouettes of white ladies around my school for White Blouse Day, running bake-stalls and Easter Raffles for Save the Children, or speaking on assembly about women’s homelessness, has shone a new light on a group of people or a societal concept, and has deeply enriched my connection with others. I have come to understand and appreciate the diversity of abilities, backgrounds, socio-economic factors, and ethnicities, by simply stepping out into a new space and holding out a charitable hand.
With Volunteens, it is now easier than ever before to share similar experiences with your community, and step into the world of giving! So, what are you waiting for?