Whether it’s at the Vinnies store or with Little Athletics, Orange’s Annella Powell has encouraged residents to get involved as a volunteer.
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To celebrate International Volunteer Day on Monday, Ms Powell attended the Returned Australian Volunteer Network conference over the weekend.
Ms Powell spent two years in South Africa volunteering as the fundraising co-ordinator for the Sophumelela Centre, a non-government organisation working to help people affected by HIV and AIDS.
She worked with Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID), which sends people around the world to help complete projects.
“It’s about capacity building, my role was to do myself out of a job,” Ms Powell said.
As fundraising co-ordinator her job was to develop a fundraising plan to sustain the organisation.
“I worked with my colleagues to try and develop something that was workable for them, trying to translate my developed-world understanding of how to raise funds, into a developing-world way of thinking where donor fatigue and cause fatigue are at extreme levels,” she said.
“I hope I left them with something they can work with as they slowly get more people on the ground and have more hands, hearts and heads to help them raise funds.”
The Sophumelela Centre has five projects including day care, mentoring for health staff, a youth employment program and two healthcare programs.
"I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Ms Powell said.
“I got so much more from the assignment than I'd anticipated, and came away feeling I'd shared skills and experience with my host organisation and colleagues for organisational and personal growth, development and sustainability,” she said.
Ms Powell said she’d recommend the AVID program, but said volunteering didn’t need to be overseas.
“There is so much need domestically, even locally. I would encourage people to identify the social issue or thing that interests them most and find a way to contribute,” she said.
“It can be as simple as approaching an organisation and offering your time and asking how you can assist.
“It could be reading at your local school or helping out with the Salvo’s Red Shield Appeal. The opportunities are endless, don’t wait to be asked, see if you can create an opportunity.”
Declan Rurenga
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
