Rather than objects or money, more and more people are choosing to donate their time with around 6 million Australians volunteering each year, according to data from Volunteering Australia. And why wouldn’t you? You get to help someone, embrace that guilt-free dopamine hit, and sometimes you might even meet your new BEST friend.
Carole Jensen and Irene Hewitt met 10 years ago through a shared love of helping other people and the desire to keep busy. Since connecting, the women have gone on day trips, weekend getaways and longer adventures together, travelling to places like Tasmania and New Zealand.
“Carole and I just connect; sometimes you meet someone and you connect. We’ve connected and it’s great,” says Irene.
After retiring from the Department of Health, Irene visited a woman in her 90s each week, going out to lunches, shopping or simply spending time together. When her client moved further away, Irene joined three volunteering groups – BEST Club, Connect Four, and Positive Links.
“Two of them have disbanded now,” Irene says. “I still do BEST Club and I’m looking around for another, I’ve got a day to spare. I want to do another day’s volunteering.”
After retirement, Carole and her husband spent a lot of time exploring and travelling, then when her husband passed, she was at a loose end. A neighbour suggested a volunteering program at Belconnen Community Centre, now Capital Region Community Services (CRCS), which is where she joined BEST Club and Positive Links and met Irene.
The two disbanded volunteer groups, which received NDIS support, both helped people of varying ages living with disability, such as stroke survivors or those in wheelchairs.
“They were a really lovely group and we’re still in contact with some of them, so that’s nice,” says Carole.
Each Tuesday morning, the pair heads to the Raiders Club in Holt for the Belconnen Energetic Seniors Tuesdays Club (BEST).
“They’re not really very energetic because when we get Ryan here (CRCS), who will come and do chair exercises, they don’t really want to do it … I would call it friendship or social coffee club, it’s good for them,” Carole says.
Welcoming seniors, including some members approaching triple digits, they sit at their own table because they have been attending for many years.
“Some of the ladies in there are well in their 90s. We’ve got one lovely lady, she’s hoping to get a letter from the king; she wanted one from the queen, now she’s got to get it from the king,” smiles Carole.
BEST Club has recently welcomed a wave of younger members, people who would have otherwise been on their own now come and share morning tea. Carole says if the outing has been arranged as a group activity for a social service, they also might stay on for lunch at the club, making for a full day out.
While at the club, Carole and Irene serve the morning tea, keeping busy for the few hours they are there. Irene says a big part of it is just speaking to people as a lot of them may be experiencing loneliness or not seeing anyone else that week.
“I love kissing and cuddling everybody,” says Irene. “A couple of ladies don’t like it, so I respect their wishes, but I always acknowledge and say ‘Hi, how are you?’ A lot of them say to me, ‘we look forward to our kisses and cuddles, Irene’.”
Carole says helping attendees find who they might connect with is another part of their role, introducing people and facilitating friendships.
“We just sort of see who they fit in with and see if they communicate a bit better with who is around them. Some people are easy to talk to and some people aren’t, and some people don’t want to know other people,” smiles Carole.
According to Irene, it is good for their own health, too. She says if she was stuck at home doing nothing, she would probably start feeling depressed. The volunteering, walking groups and social clubs keep life interesting.
“It’s good for everybody and we should all do it; if you get a chance do volunteering, it’s good for your health,” says Irene.
The people you meet make all the difference, says Carole. Having made lasting friendships through volunteer organisations has added immensely to her life. She still regularly sees some people she met in groups more than two decades ago, and loves to help others form such bonds.
“It’s not just in the club itself; older ones talk on the phone, other ones go to the movies and make groups of their own,” says Carole.
Both women agree that you don’t have to wait until you retire to volunteer. If you have a free day, with many employers offering volunteer leave, just do it.
“I was still working, I was in my mid-50s at a nursing home, and I used to go on a Saturday morning from 10 to 2 o’clock, I would do activities and be running after the balls and things. I would come home exhausted, but I loved it! I made a lot of friends,” says Irene.
“I live alone, and you can do gardening or whatever, but volunteering gets you motivated, it gets you out meeting people. That’s what I like about volunteering, you’re not feeling sorry for yourself at home,” says Carole.
If you’re on your own and older, there are a lot of great social groups and opportunities for connection out there, says Carole. She says people volunteering helps to spread the word about the options people could share with family and friends.
If you are interested in ways to get involved in the local community, head to the Volunteering ACT website.
