Volunteers make an enormous contribution to Karingal; assisting with services and special events across the organisation, and enriching people's lives. Karingal volunteers are of all ages and come from a wide range of backgrounds. All have one thing in common - valuable skills, experience and personalities to share.
Without volunteers, many Karingal services and events could not function effectively.
Here are some of their stories.
Giving the reward for volunteering
After eight years volunteering with Karingal, Vicki wishes she’d discovered it sooner.
The newspaper advertisement she read said Karingal wanted volunteers interested in going to the theatre and out for dinner.
“I thought to myself, ‘I already do all that, so why not volunteer?”
She hasn’t looked back since, and enjoys spending one-on-one time with Bev – who loves going to the footy.
“I get a lot more out of volunteering than I give,” Vicki insists.
“Seeing Bev and other participants blossom and have fun – it’s the best reward.”
Mates for 15 years
Volunteer Noel and Karingal participant Mark have been catching up once a week for 15 years.
They can usually be found enjoying lunch at the Leopold Sportsman’s Club.
On the odd occasion they may deviate and head to a movie or for a drive – but Mark is pretty keen on his Keno.
Noel heads to the bar, orders them both a soft drink, and people come up and say hello.
The pair is well-known around the place – with regulars keen to ask Mark if his lucky number 48 has brought him any winners.
“Mark and I are more friends then anything else,” Noel said.
“I’ve been lucky in life and I decided I wanted to volunteer because I want to give something back.”
Volunteering brings happiness for Debbie
Wednesday is a great day for stay at home mum and Karingal volunteer, Debbie.
It’s the day she picks up Gloria for a drive down to LeisureLink for their weekly water aerobics session.
Debbie says volunteering at Karingal really fulfils her.
“I just love being with the people – I just love them all to death,” she said.
Debbie found out about Karingal through friends who both worked and volunteered with the organisation.
“They asked me to come along one day and I haven’t left since - it’s my second home.”
Social experience makes volunteering fun for Ebony
Ebony hopes that one day, she won’t be in the minority of young people who volunteer.
Inspired by a Rotary camp four years ago about becoming a better citizen – Ebony decided to answer a call by Karingal for young people to volunteer.
“Volunteering with a disability organisation had always appealed to me in the past.
“I guess that’s because I always saw how kids at school treated people, whether they had an intellectual or physical disability.
“Other students treated them badly - I felt it wasn’t right.”
Ebony volunteers to go out with fellow young people from Karingal – they go to the movies, out for dinner and go dancing.
“I have loved every second of my volunteering with Karingal and the young guys that I work with have been so much fun.”
Giving time a career inspiration
At 24 years of age, Hayley decided to volunteer in a sector she thought she might like to have a career in one day.
Twelve months on she is working with EdLinks students, assisting with literacy and numeracy.
“I have always wanted to help out in the community in some way or another, I found Karingal in the paper and it seemed perfect,” she said.
“It’s been very fulfilling for me, I feel like I have learnt a lot. I loved it and made me want to do it as a career even more.”
While she is currently working as a hairdresser and volunteering one day a week – Hayley is currently studying Certificate IV in Disability.
She said more young people should give their time to volunteering.
“If they are studying and don’t work, volunteering is a really great way for young people to give back to the community.”