It’s heartwarming to see well deserved praise and gratitude offered across the board to people who are acting well above the line of duty, even putting their own lives and safety at risk.

When pondering on this, I have been impelled to explore the wide variety and extent of who our volunteers actually are.

A volunteer is a person who acts above and beyond the call of duty to offer assistance or support of some kind to another person or cause without receiving any remuneration or reward.

Responding to the frightening bush fires requires a special kind of volunteer and needs a register of trained and experienced people who can be called upon to drop everything and give their time and energy.

Other volunteers need to register and agree to leave their names on a roster so that shifts and services can function.

Some such causes would be the Wayfinders at the hospital, Meals on Wheels, the Orange Hospital Auxiliary who need such a large number of people to serve in the kiosk day in and day out so that they are able to raise funds to make enormous donations to the hospital for vital and expensive equipment.

The Bloomfield-Riverside Auxiliary does not have a kiosk to run but needs volunteers to help with the barbecues a couple of time a year and the giant raffle – which is their major fundraiser – and needs ticket sellers for three days a week for three months or so each year.

All money raised goes to improving the comfort and rehabilitation of people with mental illnesses or intellectual disabilities.

Another body of volunteers would have to be those who react to an emergency rendering whatever assistance is in their power to provide.

The recent catastrophic fire in William Street in Orange which caused the evacuation of hundreds of animals from the RSPCA is a classic example of what people of good will can do, especially in an emergency.

Because of these brave volunteers, the RSPCA is able to continue to provide its wonderful service.

Farmers transporting hay bales to needy farmers is another heartwarming sight.

Perhaps the most unsung volunteers are those we find among families and friends.

There’s babysitting, before-and after-school care, providing a lift or an escort for children to or from school, helping out when someone is ill, and all the little unrecorded kind deeds provided by grand parents, uncles and aunts, neighbours and even acquaintances.

All of these are examples of giving of our time, talent and energy to benefit someone else.

Maybe we could all look at our diaries and see if there is a little space where we could volunteer to assist in some way consistent within our capacity.

Well done, vollies.