volunteering matters...

Volunteering Matters

Did you know that over 5.4 million Australian adults volunteer each year, which is approximately 34% of the population. In 2006, it was estimated that volunteering was worth $70 billion per annum to the economy, up from $42 billion in 2000. Australians who volunteer are contributing over 700 million hours of community service annually.
98% of volunteers surveyed by Volunteering Australia felt that their volunteer work made a difference to their chosen organization, with 34% of volunteers saying they gained useful skills relevant to future paid employment.

Benefits of Volunteering
There are many social, health and environmental benefits of volunteering, not only for the individual but the community as a whole. Some of the immediate benefits include:
 Getting to know like minded people in your local community
 Personal satisfaction and pride from contributing something worthwhile to the community and the environment
 Gaining practical skills and experiences that may be applicable to your job and every-day life, such as gardening, teamwork and communication
 Learning about environmental issues and conservation
 Getting active and having some fun!

Get Involved!
If you want to get involved, a great place to start is your local newspaper or council website – they often have services that help link people to appropriate volunteering projects and organizations. You may also want to invite some of your family and friends to come withth you!

National Volunteer Week is 10-16th May 2010, for more information visit http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org

Here are some links to get you started on your volunteering journey:

A note from Gina: I can’t let this email end without giving a little praise for my incredible mother, Marilyn who is in her 20th year of serving for an international women’s charity Soroptimist International. They do some amazing things locally and internationally with a particular focus on women. Consider joining your local branch!

Volunteering Australia - www.volunteeringaustralia.org

Conservation Volunteers - www.conservationvolunteers.com.au

Wilderness Society - www.wilderness.org.au

EarthWatch Institute - www.earthwatch.org

WWOOF - www.wwoof.com.au