National Volunteer Week is a chance for all of us to celebrate and recognise the vital work of MRC Tas volunteers and to say thank you. This year, the theme of National Volunteer Week is Better Together. It’s a theme that speaks to MRC Tas’s own values and mission: working together to build stronger communities and create an inclusive society for all. Without the support of volunteers, from those who work directly with clients to those on our board, this mission would not be possible.
Meet some of our amazing volunteers who work across a range of programs, from Aged and Community Services to Driving Support and the Humanitarian Settlement Program.
Volunteering with Aged and Community
Tejal is an accounting student from India who began volunteering with MRC Tas last year. She volunteers with the Aged and Community Services team, and she’s been able to put her accounting studies to good use by assisting with finances. For Tejal, volunteering is a chance to “meet new people, learn about other cultures and gain new skills.” Like Tejal, Yao also volunteers with the Aged and Community Services team, and it’s been a similarly rewarding experience. “Helping the community and seeing them happy makes me happy, and I’m also gaining experience for me to get a job,” Yao says.
Another volunteer who makes an incredible contribution is Sagar. Originally from Nepal, Sagar arrived in Hobart a year ago where he began volunteering at MRC Tas. As a Social Support Group volunteer, Sagar works with the Bhutanese Elders where he is providing language support as well as “building relationships and rapport with diverse clients.”
Many MRC Tas volunteers also work as mentors, assisting clients with driving or language support. For MRC Tas volunteer Peter, who is a driving mentor, getting to know the people he works with is where he finds real enjoyment. “I just love working with people from lots of different countries,” he says. Jason and Laura also play a role mentoring MRC Tas youth clients, and both find joy in giving back to the community. What Laura loves most is spending time with different people and the opportunity to learn their stories. “There is something really special about sharing your time with other people in the community,” she says. “We can learn a lot from each other.”
Volunteering with the Phoenix Centre
Sweta is one of our Friday Village volunteers, helping to organise activities that improve the mental wellbeing of people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. For Sweta, volunteering is a chance to “contribute to making someone’s life easier.” It’s also something she’s passionate about because she understands what it’s like to move to a new country with a different culture and language.
Volunteering with the Humanitarian Settlement Program
Finally, MRC Tas has some incredible volunteers working across the Humanitarian Settlement Program — a MRC Tas program that provides practical support to humanitarian entrants from their arrival and throughout their initial settlement period. Kirsten is one of these volunteers, and she explains that “volunteering is so rewarding and the environment is supportive, inclusive and extremely professional.”
Thank you to all MRC Tas volunteers for your contributions and your dedication.
To learn more about volunteering with MRC Tas, please visit https://mrctas.org.au/volunteer/