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Making a difference through volunteering

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At just 23, Cire Reconnect client and FICE volunteer Bella O’Hara has a list of community involvements that would take most people a lifetime to achieve, plus the unwavering passion to match.

Her biggest motivator is her determination to advocate for people with a disability and those with mental health issues, especially men and young people.

“I have been so supported by so many people, I just want to give back as much as I can,’ said Bella, who needs extra learning support, a disability she once loathed but has now embraced so she can be her best self.

Bella’s community work was recently acknowledged in the 2022 Maroondah Youth Awards. She was part of the FReeZA Bassline Productions crew, who were honoured with the Team Award for their contributions to the art, music and cultural event management program.

The award nomination read: Bassline Productions met weekly in 2021 to design, plan and run live music and cultural events in their community. Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the group was forced to continually innovate and persevere, resulting in some of the most creative event ideas in recent years. The group showed teamwork, collaborating to bring these events to life, while also supporting each other in the process. Character strengths demonstrated were creativity, perseverance, and social intelligence.

“It was so exciting to receive the award,” Bella said, adding that she loved meeting and working with others in the team to bring joy and happiness into the lives of others, particularly after the harsh Covid lockdowns and restrictions.

With such an inspiring approach to life and service to the community, it is little wonder that Cire is privileged to have such an inspiring young woman as part of its Reconnect program and helping out at First Impressions Clothing Exchange, unwittingly showing leadership through her service to others, contributing to community and advocacy.

Already a confident young woman with a belief in herself when she “discovered” Cire, Bella said programs like Reconnect and FICE had helped put her on a positive pathway to employment and relevant skills.

“I feel much more confident about what the future holds,” said Bella, who has shared her Cire experience in the following interview with her Reconnect case worker Sarah Kilgour as well as with FICE co-ordinator Renee Cooke in the most recent FICE newsletter.

A young woman who has the courage to create her own opportunities, Bella would love to work in disability or retail and, through whatever she does, tell the story about having a disability.

“If you have a disability, live life in the moment and don’t ever give up… I don’t look like I have a disability, I am a very slow learner and need extra support, but  I am very independent…I used to dislike my disability, but I now embrace it, not fight it. It is so important to find the right support and a good support agency and to believe in yourself”.

Click here for further information about Cire’s Volunteer Program.

 

Celebrating National Volunteer Week

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Volunteering can be defined as ‘time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain.’ But volunteering is so much more than that as we know.

Volunteering can give someone a sense of achievement and purpose, help them feel part of a community and better about themselves. It can help them share skills, learn new skills and create a better work-life balance. It can help reduce stress and social isolation and help them meet new people and feel more connected.

And for Cire, volunteers add a wealth of diverse experience to the Cire team, support the critical work being done to deliver programs to the community, and help build that all-important community connection.

Cire welcomes and encourages volunteers from across the Yarra Ranges community and beyond who choose to contribute their valuable skills and time to enrich their local community.

National Volunteer Week – held Monday 18 May – Sunday 24 May 2020 – is the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of volunteers across the country.

In any other year, events would be held across the country during National Volunteer Week to say thank you to the millions of Australians who volunteer their time and energy.

Despite 2020 being anything but an ordinary year so far, we feel that it is more important than ever to recognise and acknowledge (albeit from afar), the generous and continued support of Cire’s volunteers and the commitment they show to the organisation, the team and their local community.

Volunteers contribute to Cire in a number of different and important ways, including:

  • facilitating and co-facilitating educational programs alongside Cire staff
  • providing reception and event coordination support at the community hubs in Yarra Junction and Chirnside Park
  • providing child care support at family and children’s services sites across the Yarra Ranges
  • participating in gardening and conservation works, and working bees
  • engaging in corporate volunteering

Daniel was our first volunteer at Chirnside Park Community Hub and he is an asset to our team. Daniel loves to set up and assist for our Bookaburra storytime and our Senior Citizens club that meet weekly at the centre. I asked Daniel what volunteering at Cire means to him and his response was:

“Volunteering at Cire means meeting new people and doing exciting jobs” – Daniel Bookaburra volunteer.

Each week at Bookaburra children aged 1-5 years enjoy listening quietly to stories, being stimulated by singing songs and being creative with an easy craft project.

“As a volunteer with this program, it is always pleasing to see the delight on the children’s faces as they interact with their parents and carers during these Bookaburra activities” – Lorraine Bookaburra volunteer.

The theme of this year’s National Volunteer Week is Changing Communities, Changing Lives.

At its core, Cire is driven by a vision to enhance the lives, capabilities and opportunities in our community, and volunteers play a key role in achieving this vision.

For being the welcoming face at a community hub and voice the phone directing community members to a course or opportunity. For setting up a meeting room for the weekly Spanish language class and leading a workshop for young people. For all of this and more, we thank you.

Click here find out more about volunteering opportunities at Cire.

Celebrating National Volunteer Week

The value of volunteering

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Did you know that more than 6 million Australians make a difference by volunteering each year? A national study in 2010 showed that 36.2 percent of people aged 18 years and over participate in formal volunteering. There are many reasons people volunteer. Some people undertake volunteering in order to gain new skills, whilst others use volunteering as a way to meet new people or to make a difference to their local community. The variety of different tasks that can be completed by a volunteer is endless. Volunteering is a two-way exchange where people give, but also gain valuable experiences and skills in return.

Many volunteers may be unaware that their activities are considered volunteering. Volunteering itself can mean different things to different people. In 2001, the United Nations adopted specific criteria to differentiate volunteering from other behaviours. According to the United Nations, volunteering is

  • not to be undertaken primarily for financial gain
  • is undertaken of one’s own free will and
  • brings benefit to a third party as well as to the people who volunteer

People structure the way that they volunteer in many ways. Some roles involve short (or even longer term) projects where you would be involved for a block of time or just as a one-off activity. Other roles will offer shifts that would be on a regular or casual basis and fit around your other commitments. Organisations like Cire Services will include information about the times needed when advertising for a volunteer position and individuals can discuss availability and flexibility when initially making enquiries about the role advertised. Becoming a volunteer can also have an added bonus, not only giving the opportunity to learn new skills, but also give you a pathway that can then lead you to paid employment.

So what does it take to become a volunteer?

Most volunteering organisations will have a checking process to protect volunteers and the people they will be working with. Organisations will ask you to provide identification (eg. Driver’s licence), a reference letter or contact details of a referee and depending on the type of work undertaken you may require further screening, such as providing a working with children check.

As part of the induction process, discussions will also occur outlining the organisation’s policies and procedures.

Here at Cire Services, we are fortunate in having a group of hard working dedicated volunteers who contribute to a range of activities. Russell Varney is one of those hard-working volunteers that always presents with a positive attitude and helps out in a range of our education groups. Russell is the 2017 winner of the CHAOS Volunteer Award for Cire Services for 2017.

Another one of our valued volunteers is Judy Cook (main image) who helps out in the administration area on a weekly basis. Judy shared the following comment about what volunteering means to her:

“Having worked in the not for profit sector for twenty plus years, I was interested in giving some of my time to a community organisation after I retired. Just a few hours a week can make all the difference. Volunteering enables me to meet new people and keep in touch with some of my former colleagues. Volunteering allows the exchange of ideas and information and it is rewarding for me to share my experience and feel valued.”

In 2018, Cire Services will be working on a number of projects that will require a range of volunteer skills and backgrounds, so keep an eye out on our Facebook page and website for some exciting volunteer opportunities to be announced.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers at Cire Services for their hard work and contributions and wish them all a restful and relaxing Christmas and New Year.

If you would like to find out more on becoming a volunteer or about what we offer here at Cire Services contact us on 1300 835 235.