You Can Do It 2
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Who does it?
Anyone can volunteer. Volunteers come from all walks of life, live in a variety of locations and take part in many different volunteering opportunities.
You may not be aware that people you know are volunteers and you probably come across volunteers often.
When might I have met a volunteer?
Lots of your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues at work or school are probably volunteers and you don’t know about it.
Think of the people who deliver meals on wheels to the lady up the street, or the men and women who fight fires, the man who came to remove the tree that fell down in the storm or the lady who serves you in the op shop when you bought your latest vintage item. These people are all volunteers who play roles in contributing to their local communities, quite often without you even realising it.
Where do they do it?
People volunteer in lots of different places doing a variety of things. Read on further to see a list of things you could get involved in!
Name your passion, skill or something you want to do and you can find a volunteer position to suit.
Why do it?
People volunteer for lots of different reasons and experience some huge benefits and satisfaction from their volunteer roles.
Some of the most common reasons for volunteering include:
- Personal growth
- Unique experiences
- Giving something back
- Personal benefit
- Sense of accomplishment
- Recognition
- Learn new things
- Friendship and belonging
- Skills and experience
- Get a job
- Have fun
Volunteers are a really important part of making your community what it is. As you can see on the What could I do? page there are lots and lots of different roles being filled by volunteers.
It is volunteers who assist in providing really important services to people all over the world. Using your skills without being paid is one of the biggest contributions you can make to improving your own life and the lives of others in your community.
What could I do?
Examples of the types of things people do as a volunteer
Can you think of something you would really like to teach other people, a new skill you would like to learn, a great experience you would like to have or a cause you are passionate about?
Chances are you can teach someone, gain experience, learn a new skill or follow your passion in a volunteer role.
There are heaps of different volunteer organisations out there; you just have to decide which one you would like to be involved in.
Some volunteer options might include:
- Health and Welfare
- Arts
- Education
- Emergency Services
- Religious
- Environment and Heritage
- Animal Welfare
- Justice
- Sports and Recreation
So, you want to do it too?
List of places you can go to get more information on volunteering Learning new things, making new friends, having life changing experiences, making a positive impact, working for a cause you are passionate about- it all sounds pretty exciting!
So, if you have decided volunteering sounds like something you want to get involved in, then below are some places you can go, websites you can visit or people you can meet with to help you take that first step!
Local
- The City of Casey Website www.casey.vic.gov.au/volunteers
- The City of Casey Volunteer Matcher www.casey.vic.gov.au/volunteermatcher
- The City of Casey Youth Inside Info www.casey.vic.gov.au/insideinfo
- The Monash Volunteer Resource Centre www.mvrcvolunteer.org.au
National
- Volunteering Victoria www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au
- Go Volunteer www.govolunteer.com.au
- The Centre for Volunteering www.volunteering.com.au
- Volunteering Australia www.volunteeringaustralia.org
International
- Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development www.ayad.com.au
- World Youth www.worldyouth.org.au
- Australian Volunteers International www.australianvolunteers.com.au
Before you do it…
Deciding to become a volunteer is the start of what will be an amazing and rewarding journey.
Like anything, taking the first step can be scary but everyone understands what its like to be “new.” Take the plunge and you will only ever look back to remember what a great experience getting involved was!
So take a deep breath because this is just the beginning of what will be some of the best experiences of your life…
When I do it…
Well, you are a volunteer!
As with any paid employment, when you take on a volunteer role you have Rights and Responsibilities.
You should always make sure you are working in a healthy, safe environment where you are free from discrimination and harm.
You have the right to expect to be consulted about organisational changes that may affect you, have the right to say “no” and to be valued by the organisation.
As a volunteer you will be expected to fulfil your duties and commitments to your role and be respectful to staff and other volunteers. It is also important you are punctual, supportive and willing to ask for help when you need it.