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Empowerment, resilience and volunteering: Celebrate International Volunteer Day 2018

  • by Volunteer Hub
  • December 5, 2018

On International Volunteer Day 2018 we acknowledge the contribution of volunteers in supportive and palliative care settings to community connectedness and resilience.

International Volunteer Day 2018, “Volunteers build resilient communities”, recognises volunteers worldwide – with a special focus on local community volunteers – who contribute to making their communities more resilient against natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks. The campaign theme combines the recognition of volunteers with concrete evidence from the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) 2018.

Resilience, empowerment and volunteering are interwoven themes in community development.

Building resilient communities through volunteering is the aim of a Volunteer Project in Western NSW now being rolled-out. The project, led by Volunteer Project Coordinator Jane Beach, aims to develop and facilitate relationships with local clinicians and partner organisations as a basis for improving access and equity for people receiving palliative care.

One of the volunteers and volunteer coordinators from the Parkes Volunteer Service, Tony Fisher, contributed to volunteer training over the last few days in Mudgee and Orange. Tony, who has been involved in palliative care volunteering for more than 4 years and more recently as a Volunteer Coordinator, said that the aim was not only to educate but to empower new volunteers.

"We want to empower our people. You need to share what's real, not just what's in the text book".

Thank you to our 1,600 or so palliative care volunteers in NSW for your contribution to building resilient and empowered communities.

Pic: Community volunteers from the Parkes Volunteer Service with CNC Bernadette Orange (L) debate approaches to patient support at a Volunteer Workshop in Orange, October 2018. Tony Fisher is 3rd from L, with the other Parkes volunteer coordinator Kaye Lindsay 5th from L.

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