Make a positive difference
Volunteers play an integral role in supporting and enhancing the services Uniting AgeWell provides.
Become a volunteer today
Ready to make new friends, improve your own wellbeing and the lives of others?
Volunteers contribute to the wellbeing of clients in many ways, through a dozens of volunteering opportunities including:
- Transporting clients
- Contributing to events and activities
- Gardening
- Entertainment
- Supporting lifestyle activities
- Office administration
- Home visits.
For information about becoming a Uniting AgeWell volunteer, contact (03) 13 93 75.
Become a volunteer todayWhat is involved?
Volunteering with Uniting AgeWell is tailored to you. No prior volunteering experience is necessary.
The amount of time you contribute is entirely up to you. It might be once a week, once a month or once a year on a special project.
Uniting AgeWell provides training and on-going management support to all volunteers, and coverage for Personal Accident, Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance.
Recognising our volunteers
Uniting AgeWell volunteer Ruth Hosking, was awarded an Order of Australia (OAM) honour this year for nearly four decades of service to the local community.
The Bendigo 89-year-old gets huge joy from volunteering at Uniting AgeWell Strath-Haven Community in Bendigo where she meets with families and individuals who are considering admission into residential care, listens to their concerns and ensures the answers she gives meet their needs.
And even over the last two years, with Victoria in and out of lockdown during COVID, Ruth has simply carried on her volunteering work at Strath-Haven – chatting to people over zoom and the phone and emailing them important information in fact sheets, which she has developed from a range of resources.
A spotlight on volunteering
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Merv Stanton
Uniting AgeWell Queenborough Rise Community volunteer, Merv Stanton, who is 96-year-old, still works in the garden for a few hours every day excluding the weekends, and was touched when a sign “Merv’s Garden” was recently erected in the grounds.
“The more you give as a volunteer, the more you receive,” says the retired Anglican Minister. “I have gained so much personally through helping others. It’s wonderful.”
Merv has not only been busy in the garden, over the years he’s called Bingo, gone on bus trips with residents, helped set up the Garden Club and looked after the library. He also prepares the quiz every fortnight.
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Julie Pellas
Retired nurse, Julie Pellas is part of the heart-beat of beautiful Bendigo. And she’s delighted to give back to the people who mean so much to her by volunteering at Uniting AgeWell Strath-Haven Community.
Julie, pictured with resident Coral Wilkie and pup Miss Milly, started volunteering eight years ago.
She works with lifestyle team. This has entailed driving the bus to take residents on outings, calling Bingo, assisting with carpet bowls, organising trivia quizzes and organising footy tipping.
Julie says volunteering is keeping her purposeful and busy during retirement.
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Jamie Bessell
Former limousine chauffeur Jamie Bessell is right on track when it comes to giving back to the community.
He’s a volunteer at Uniting AgeWell’s Grampians Community Transport service which provides transport assistance for older people living in Ararat, Ballarat and surrounding areas.
Jamie, who lives on a five acre lifestyle block in Haddon, west of Ballarat, says being purposeful and busy during his retirement keeps him on top of his game.
“I enjoy driving people around to doctors’ appointments or social outings and it’s great to chat to them.”
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Debbie Saunders
Debby Saunders loves making older people smile.
And she attributes the great joy and purpose she feels in her life to volunteering to do just this, at Uniting AgeWell Newnham Community Aldersgate Village.
“If I can make even one person happier each day, then I’m happy,” Debby says. “And I’ve learned over the years that there’s always a way to connect to someone; even a gentle hand massage is a way of showing care.”
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Graeme and Joy
Graeme and Joy Thompson love spending their days ladling out hot meals – and happiness.
And they thoroughly enjoyed helping staff organise dancing, light exercises, bocce, balloon tennis, card games, arts and crafts and more for older people at Uniting AgeWell’s Linlithgow Centre in Ivanhoe.
The couple has been volunteering for the last five years for the social connections program, which started 25 years ago, and say it’s wonderful to be doing something meaningful during their retirement.
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Mitchell Leedham
Volunteering can open doors – just ask Mitchell Leedham.
Mitchell is yet another person who started volunteering at Uniting AgeWell and is now employed by us.
The 22-year old, Lifestyle Assistant at Newnham Community Aldersgate Village brings his own brand of fun to the older residents.
He is also excited about the career opportunities in aged care. “It’s great that working in aged care is not only meaningful, but also a good career move. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Stan Roberts’ world has evolved around his wife, Dorothy for the last 28 years they have been married.
So, in the way that carers deeply understand, he felt heart-broken but also hugely relieved when she moved into Uniting AgeWell Kalkee Community Nangatta towards the end of 2021 after her dementia worsened.
As well as visiting Dorothy, he’s taken up volunteering there two days a week: helping staff during busy meal times and being involved with activities for residents. He even brings along his saxophone, and performs old favourites for everyone.
Cassie Wallace can recall the defining moment that changed the course of her life.
After 18 months as an unemployed university graduate, Cassie decided to and start volunteering. And when a volunteer admin position at Uniting AgeWell came up, she jumped at the opportunity.
Her value was soon recognised and she was offered a permanent role. Fast-forward eight years and Cassie, who leads a team which is a critical component of the engine room of Uniting AgeWell, has received a highly-prestigious organisation-wide Excellence Award.
Every day I volunteer at Kingsville Community is different.
Some days I spend one-on-one time with a resident as a friend, going to the coffee shop or out for a walk in the garden. I also help the staff from the lifestyle team with activities and outings, or help the hairdresser at the on-site salon with whatever she needs. Volunteering is the most rewarding work I’ve ever had. When you do something and you see a resident smile as a result of it, that’s more rewarding than any money.
- Lou Bonnici, Uniting AgeWell Volunteer
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Get in touch
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Phone: 1300 783 435
Email: [email protected] -
Locations
We have offices across metropolitan and regional Victoria and Tasmania.
Find your local office