NVW – BayCISS celebrates!
National Volunteer Week (NVW) is an annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nations’ volunteers. Thousands of events are held across Australia during late May to say thank you to the six million Australians who volunteer their time.
The theme of this year’s celebrations is Give a Little. Change a Lot. The theme represents how the millions of volunteers make a profound impact in their communities and on society, through their giving of time.
It is well known that volunteers are an important part of the community and make a valuable contribution through a wide variety of community opportunities; and as such, BayCISS took the opportunity to conduct a celebratory event to acknowledge and thank all of their volunteers and community supporters.
BayCISS volunteers:
- Regularly contribute to a roster on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis
- Allow the agency to operate for 30 hours each week, for 50 weeks of the year
- Complete training specific to their work to keep in touch and understand the needs of our region
- Assist around 200 people each month with the most basic of Maslow’s identified needs – food, water and shelter
- Recognise and identify opportunities for assistance in the second layer of need, including personal safety, hygiene, employment and health
- Support, instruct, assist and guide students on placement within the agency
- Provide delivery and pick up services for community donations
- Contribute a wealth of knowledge and personal attributes, expertise and opinions in delivering an effective, positive and essential service to the community
- Have the opportunity to make someone’s day – every day!
The Mayor, Cr Laurie Evans, who has lived in the Bayside area all his life, spoke about the amazing impact that volunteering has on the entire Bayside community and the magnificent benefits we all receive through the kindness of others.
Our Guest Speaker, Christine Craik, a lecturer in Social Work at RMIT; the President of the Australian Association of Social Workers; Chair of Project Respect; and currently completing her PhD in the area of domestic and family violence, spoke of her own experiences with volunteering and the value, not only to the community, the people we assist, the organisations and the wellbeing of our existence; but also of the personal value of volunteering and being on the receiving end of volunteers.
Our Committee President, Bill Howley, ably assisted by the Mayor, made a special mention and presentations to all of the BayCISS volunteers in attendance.
Many of our organisation supporters were also in attendance with representatives from Rotary Club of Brighton, Rotary Club of Sandringham, Cheltenham-Mentone Uniting Church, All Souls Uniting Church, Laminex Australia, Officeworks, Parklands Ladies Golf Group, Bayside City Council, Moorabbin Primary School, Sandringham East Primary School and Tucker Road Bentleigh Primary School.
