It’s National Volunteering Week, 21 to 27 May, time to honour our volunteers and recognise that volunteering is a great way to get the job you really want.
At Goodwin we are lucky to have had three fantastic volunteers become part of Goodwin’s team of permanent paid staff. Maureen Cane, Roma Salomon and Surabhi Sharma all started at Goodwin as volunteers and have secured rewarding jobs based on the skills and connections they gained.
Maureen started at Goodwin in July 2017 as a volunteer Health Club Coach, at The Health and Wellness Centre at Goodwin Monash. She is now a permanent staff member and continues as the Health Club coach which she loves. “I really enjoy my work as I love seeing people’s health improve over time. We have fun and lots of laughs in the class.”
Roma started in January 2018 as administration assistant for the training team and now she works as administration assistant for both the People and Culture team and the Procurement Manager, Michael Hardgrave. “I have really enjoyed working at Goodwin as it is really fulfilling to be given the opportunity to do what you love and to be given the opportunity to learn something new” says Roma.
Surabhi began volunteering at Goodwin in November 2017 as an administration assistant for the People and Culture team. She is now working in a paid position at Goodwin Monash as a catering assistant. “I have an affection for elderly people so I am really enjoying my job”, says Surabhi.
Goodwin has 42 volunteers who help in our independent living villages at Ainslie, Crace, Farrer and Monash and Goodwin’s Day clubs in Monash, Crace, and Queanbeyan. They also support residents in our live-in care in Ainslie, Farrer and Monash as well as clients all over the ACT and Queanbeyan who choose to live at home.
These volunteers make a big difference to the quality of our residents and clients lives.
Volunteers are invaluable in helping the organisation to provide broader care services, as well as greater individual attention to residents and clients.
Some of our seniors wait expectantly to see the weekly volunteer who comes to visit. We know from speaking to our residents and clients that the volunteers add a supportive and interesting dimension to their experience at Goodwin, and help improve their wellbeing – and for this we are extremely grateful.
“A huge thank you to all our volunteers, for the selfless contributions you make, no matter how humble the work. We are continually amazed and thrilled by the outlay of time you offer, and the consistency and commitment with which you do it,” says Sue Levy, Goodwin CEO.
For some, volunteering offers work experience opportunities and the ability to build skills that can be utilised for paid work in the future. For others, a way to share a talent – and hopefully in the process find inspiration themselves. For yet others it’s simply a heart warming way to contribute to their community.
This year Goodwin has nominated Lee Hill for the 2018 Volunteering Awards, Canberra Region – held by Volunteering and Contact ACT, to be announced during National Volunteering Week.
Lee has been volunteering at Crace Day Club for the last 18 months and loves working there.
“I really enjoy interacting with the people that go to the day club, they have such a great sense of humour, often a wicked sense of humour,” says Lee.
“My job is to welcome clients, get them morning tea, talk and listen to them, organise some light chair exercises, run games, arts and crafts, and activities such as bingo, card matching, and outings around Canberra such as lunch at the local club,” says Lee.
To express interest in volunteering at Goodwin, click here.
Lee Hill
Surabhi (seated) gets some catering tips in training by Chef Sandeep
Roma Salomon
Maureen Cane
Maureen Cane’s Weights and Resistance class