Volunteering

In Grantham and beyond, they searched for bodies in battered houses and hot, swampy fields. Clearing debris from footpaths, roads and yards. Eighteen months before, they’d fought the inferno in southern and central Victoria, fighting fires, saving lives, and making endless cups of tea.

They’re Australian volunteers - thousands of them - who left jobs and families to lend a hand to the natural disaster recovery efforts that swept across our eastern states in the past three years.

Their work saved lives and homes. Comforted hearts, and made towns livable again. Actions fit for a reward of huge proportions. But here’s what they got instead. A muddled up medal with serious eligibility issues and a confusing criteria that ignored the efforts of thousands of others. And a bungled up awards ceremony. Seem unfair to you? Well, here’s how it happened.

Continue reading "A muddled medal: Our volunteers deserve more" »

In 10 days I’m going to get on a plane and go to Kenya. I’ve packed my clothes, my sunscreen, my wide-brimmed hat and my mosquito net. I’ve also packed the $7,000 dollars I raised to fund the building of an orphanage in Mangu – the project I’ll be working on.

I’ve also packed another $1,000 of my own money to spend at the local market on gifts, books, schoolbags, pens and paper for the kids. So with this in mind, you can imagine my surprise when this bold opinion piece was emailed to me: “Hands-on help can be harmful”.

There are always rotten apples in the barrel and clearly there are some overseas volunteer projects that are not set up with the best of intentions. And I agree that for many overseas projects there should be formal checks on those working with children.

Continue reading "What could be better than hands-on experience?" »

As you read this, you’re probably not giving much thought to the activity itself. 

Everyday pastimes like reading the newspaper or catching up with the latest news and views on The Punch we tend to take for granted. 

But just take a second to think what impact it would have on your life if, for some reason, you were no longer able to indulge in these simple pleasures.  What would you miss out on?

Continue reading "Opening your eyes to the value of sight" »

You can’t go anywhere without hearing about climate change. There’s no denying that it’s a critical issue for many of us when thinking about the future. Today as I walked to work I noticed a young man wearing a T-shirt with an image of Earth and text that said ‘Defend Tomorrow’ and it was clear what his views were.

It’s great to see this sort of passion, but it made me think about the thousands of volunteers who contribute to The Smith Family’s work, because their social conscience is undoubtedly just as strong as this man’s, just perhaps less overt.

Although many Australians are continuing to feel the effects of the global financial crisis, The Smith Family has been inundated with requests from members of the public to offer their services as volunteers over the Christmas period.

Continue reading "Why giving your time is the best Chrissy gift of all" »

Throughout the global financial crisis, the spending habits of populations around the world have been scrutinised and stimulated as a key driver in restoring economic wellbeing. In fact, the performance of the retail sector remains one of the most commonly referred to indicators, precisely because it makes such a significant contribution to national GDP.

Many of you might be surprised to discover in this context that the GDP contribution of the non-profit sector in Australia is actually on a par with that of the retail industry.

Today, there are as many as 600,000 non-profit organisations in Australia that in 2007 contributed a staggering $43 billion to our GDP, up from $21 billion in 2000. If you incorporate the $15 billion imputed value of its 4.6 million volunteers, there’s no ignoring the fact that non-profits are major economic players. 

Continue reading "The silently booming sector of the economy" »

“What about the children starving in Africa?”

I’d get that a lot when growing up if I didn’t finish the food on offer.  I suppose I am not alone in that memory.  But, like the food itself, it was a throwaway line.

For my generation, who have since become parents themselves, was it an effective call to act?  While over-ordering takeaway, because we are consumed by watching Masterchef - a show that taunts and rejects food - the same day that 25,000 children die from poverty-related causes - I think not.

Continue reading "The volunteer gene is facing extinction" »