IT’S time to thank volunteers who work behind the scenes making life and lives better in their communities.
Last week was National Volunteers Week.
About 5.8 million Australians – a third of the population – volunteer. They contribute an estimated $290 billion to the economy and social good.
Volunteers work in education, emergency services, sport and recreation, arts and heritage and the social services.
They include Marama Kelly, an adult literacy tutor at Logan Central Library who works 30 hours a week helping students pass the Australian Citizenship test.
Leslie Hoppe, a father, grandfather and industrial electrician, volunteers for the SES, Logan’s Relay for Life, Bethania Neighbourhood Watch and Eden’s Landing Community Association.
Marsden’s Terry Chapman joined the SES not long after his own house went under during the 1974 Brisbane floods. Chapman, 69, has worked all over the state through floods and cyclones. The retired teacher, snapped left at a careers expo in 2016, trains SES volunteers. He has taught thousands of newcomers the ways of the service.
In Queensland, 42,000 volunteers work in the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Rural Fire Service and SES. Jimboomba rural firefighter James Scholl says volunteering creates meaningful change.
“I couldn’t do my job by myself and no-one else here could do it by themselves either. It is a team effort,” he says.
Volunteer Week celebrations included breakfasts, morning and afternoon teas and lunches, open days, picnics, forums and training sessions. The Queensland Volunteering Awards recognised worthy individuals and groups for positive action, compassion and commitment to making a difference. Categories included Volunteer of the Year, Youth, Lifetime, Volunteer Management Organisation and Corporate. Winners will be announced this week.
