As National Volunteer Week 2021 continues, we talked with some of our volunteers about what fields they volunteer ina nd why they have continued to do it for so long. In this article you'll meet seven of our volunteers from all across Australia. Later this week we'll be sharing some more long-form content with even more of our volunteers.
Meet Kristen from Sunshine
From a young age, Kristen has been a client of Vision Australia.
When she moved to Melbourne, she didn’t know anyone and wanted to meet new people in her local area. Kristen first attended Vision Australia’s social groups before deciding to become a volunteer.
During the COVID lockdown in Victoria last year, Kristen volunteered with us by making social calls to clients who felt isolated as they weren’t able to attend social groups or visit VA offices.
Kristen believes that it is important for people to maintain social connections and is glad that she is able to assist clients and share her lived experiences. Making these social calls with clients also enables Kristen to use the counselling skills she learned through her social work degree.
Kristen also featured in our Focal Point radio program which provides further insight into her story.
Meet Lois from Ballarat
Lois is one of our dedicated volunteers based in Ballarat.
She had never had the time to volunteer before but after an operation, Lois needed something to get her out of the house and decided it was the perfect time to give volunteering a try.
While Lois enjoys helping out in any area of Vision Australia she can, she mainly assists with ceramics and pottery.
For Lois, interacting with VA’s clients is what she enjoys most about volunteering;
“You get a lot of satisfaction from it because you’re helping them. It’s very rewarding. The company is great, the staff are great and we have lots of fun while working.”
During COVID, Lois found new ways to continue her volunteering.
“I was asked if I’d be interested in volunteering using telelink. They phoned us and we all got on the line at once,” Lois said.
“My main role was to organise quizzes and riddles and jokes and we just had a great chat on the phone. It kept us all together because I was missing the clients.”
Knowing she is helping people is what drives Lois to continue volunteering for VA.
“You’re helping them in so many ways – communication and just giving them someone to talk to. A lot of these clients are living by themselves or don’t have family around. There is satisfaction in giving them some joy in their day.”
Meet Cliff from Sydney
[PD: Cliff smiling]
Cliff volunteered with Vision Australia for more than 24 years.
Although he has recently retired, we would still like to acknowledge the incredible dedication and support Cliff has shown our organisation.
A client of Vision Australia, he first started answering phones after his low vision meant he was no longer able to continue in his employment and he wanted something to fill his time.
Since then, he has helped in so many areas of Vision Australia; the Library, administration, coordinating the Speakers Network and speaking at many information days and events. He gave presentations to businesses and community groups and provided tours of the office to various visitors.
Cliff was also a Telephone Support Peer for new clients who wanted to talk to someone who had experienced what they were going through.
Cliff was instrumental in setting up Sydney’s first VIP social group and continued to facilitate this group until his retirement.
Maree Cobb, Low Vision Advisor, describes Cliff as, “like an Eveready battery; never giving up and always willing to do whatever was asked of him.”
You can listen to this Vision Australia Radio interview with Cliff Jackson to hear more about his volunteer experiences.
Meet Shirley from Warragul
Like many of our selfless volunteers, Shirley quietly goes about her volunteer tasks. She does not enjoy the spotlight or ‘blowing her own trumpet’ by talking about the invaluable support she provides our clients.
Today, we want to change that. We want to share with everyone the incredible work Shirley has done each week for the last 17 years to support our clients in Warragul.
Shirley began volunteering with Vision Australia almost by accident.
“I went to see a friend who worked at Vision Australia,” Shirley said.
“I was so impressed by their office and told her, ‘this place looks great’. She showed me around and asked if I’d be interested in volunteering and I’ve been doing it since then.”
Each Tuesday, Shirley works in the kitchen preparing food for the Warragul recreation group.
“I make hot scones, sandwiches, biscuits and sweets. Depending on the weather I also make soup,” Shirley said.
“It’s a full day but it’s wonderful. I enjoy it and feel very comfortable in the kitchen and the other volunteers are great to work with.”
Speaking with Shirley, her passion and enjoyment of what she does is clear.
“I love the clients. They appreciate everything you do for them,” Shirley said.
“I love doing things for other people. I often think I wouldn’t have met these people without volunteering.
“The clients, the other volunteers and the VA staff are all just beautiful people and so lovely to work with. I think it is wonderful that I am meeting people and hearing their stories.
Leonie, the Volunteer Partnerships Coordinator in Warragul, describes Shirley as, “a pillar of our recreation group and the catering crew. She is very much admired, respected and loved by all who work with her.
“Shirley is very humble and reluctant to blow her own trumpet and accept the recognition she deserves.”
Meet Tina from Warragul
“Don’t volunteer because you feel obligated. Volunteer because you enjoy it and are passionate about what you are doing.”
That’s the message passionate volunteer Tina has for our volunteers and anyone who is thinking about becoming a volunteer.
Tina has had a long involvement with Vision Australia both as a client and volunteer.
As a young parent, she helped establish and participated in a telelink parenting group where parents who were blind or had low vision could share their experiences.
Now, Tina facilitates another telelink group for new parents, two book club telelink groups as well as the original parenting group whose members are now grandparents.
Tina enjoys being able to share her experiences as a blind parent with others who are new to parenting and have lots of questions and concerns.
“I also enjoy that the telelink groups give me, and everyone else in the groups, the opportunity to learn from each other and hear different points of view.” Tina said.
Outside her volunteering, Tina is always busy.
“I’m doing my diploma of community services so I can use my knowledge to work as a consultant helping providers to understand the NDIS,” Tina said.
“I also help out making desserts for my local food bank and love entertaining and spending time with family and friends.”
Meet Wanda from Melbourne
[PD: Wanda standing with some of her volunteer peers]
Wanda is celebrating 20 years of volunteering for Vision Australia.
A client for more than 60 years, she began volunteering as a way to give back to VA for all the support she had received.
Her volunteer work keeps her very busy as she takes on a range of tasks including:
- Running a dinner group which meets monthly for a meal at different locations.
- Facilitating a self-help support group where clients meet monthly and hear from a guest speaker who is blind or has low vision.
- Running a self-help support group providing opportunities for people newly blind or low vision to talk to our staff and clients.
- Leading a craft group where clients make lots of different craft including Easter baskets, knitting, hand crafts, cane work, sewing and papier-mache.
- Assisting at Carols by Candlelight every year by collecting tickets and chatting to attendees about her experiences as a Vision Australia client.
Wanda enjoys sharing her experiences of blindness with new clients still adjusting to being blind or having low vision. She finds great joy in helping them adjust to their new situation and wants all her groups to be a place where everyone can feel welcome regardless of their level of vision or how long they have been a client.
Wanda is passionate about volunteering and hopes to volunteer for many more years.
“I get a buzz from meeting people and talking to them. I enjoy it and while I enjoy volunteering I’ll keep doing it. It’s not like a job – you do it because you want to.”
Wanda also recently appeared in the Mother’s Day episode of Talking Vision, talking about her lived experience as a mother with vision loss.
Meet Peter from Sydney
The friendly people and supportive environment are what Peter enjoys most about volunteering for Vision Australia.
Since 2015, Peter has volunteered in a number of roles and would be familiar to many of the staff across our Parramatta and Ashfield offices.
He started by driving the bus from Enfield to the local train station and assisting with some occasional admin support.
Now, Peter mainly volunteers with the transcription department and assists with the Seeing Eye Dogs collection dogs.
He is a highly valued member of the transcription team especially for his knowledge of many things mathematical and scientific which comes in handy when producing university textbooks for maths and science students.