This week is National Volunteers Week, an opportunity for us to acknowledge and celebrate the generous contribution made to our communities and our society by the 6.1 million Australia's that volunteer in their local communities each week.
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Our community is no different. We have many amazing, giving and tireless volunteers who each day, through their giving of time, skill, labour make the lives of many locals better. Whether it is delivering a meal, coaching soccer training, preparing lunches in the canteen, running a playgroup, building a website, playing music on the radio or keeping the books and chairing meetings. So many people are involved in such a variety of volunteer roles in our shire I often wonder what we would do without them.
Volunteering Australia estimates that volunteering contributes $290 billion to the national economy annually, yielding a 490 per cent return for every dollar invested.
Our community benefits immensely from the dedication and commitment of our wonderful volunteers. However the volunteer also benefits from their experiences.
Volunteering helps build strong, positive communities through connecting people with each other. It helps create a sense of purpose for many who give there time to activities and organisations that are important to them. Volunteering provides an outlet for people to explore and develop new skills and interest. It can be a pathway to employment. It can help break down social isolation through building connections.
We are so very lucky in our community to have such a strong sense of service and volunteering instilled in our very fabric. Over the weekend the Dungog Public School ran the Democracy Sausage BBQ for the federal election and many of the parent volunteers also had their children with them, setting up stalls, assisting to sell cakes, making bacon and eggs rolls and happily talking with customers about how the funds raised would help their education. The smiles were shared by all involved and it was clearly seen in the kids' faces that they were building a sense of self worth, a sense of community and pride in what they were doing.
Volunteering is so important to our community, not just because our community as a whole gets jobs done, money raised and assistance given, but also because it builds social connections, and understanding for each other and pride in our community. Thank you to all who volunteer in our community, it wouldn't be the same without you.
