When Elaine Armstrong first decided to become a volunteer last year, she admitted it was because “she had nothing else to do.”
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Having finished a career in retail, her next role could not have been more different.
Ms Armstrong began volunteering two days a week at the Uniting AgeWell care facility at Kings Meadows.
She said it didn’t take long for her initial apprehension to become a sense of belonging.
“I was a bit wary of being around the residents at first,” she said.
“I ended up falling into place and falling in love with the place at the same time.
“It’s a great feeling to be happy within myself and see how the residents get cheered up through different activities.
“The residents and the other volunteers are all really lovely.”
The contribution of Ms Armstrong and many others across the country will be celebrated from Monday as part of National Volunteers Week.
A range of breakfasts, morning and afternoon teas, luncheons, open days, award ceremonies, picnics, forums and training sessions have been organised with the theme of ‘Give a little. Change a lot’.
Volunteering Tasmania chief executive Alison Lai said the theme should serve as a reminder that every little bit helps.
“Each and every one of these volunteers will have experienced a moment of feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of what they’re trying to do,” she said.
“This is particularly true for those across our community who may not be volunteering as often as they would like, and feeling that their contribution is too small to make a difference.
“Some may no longer be volunteering because they felt that giving one hour a week, a few hours each month or one day year wasn’t enough to make a difference.
“This week is about reminding people that the value their volunteering is not measured through the number of hours that they give, but by the impact of what they’re doing.”
The City of Launceston will hold its annual Volunteer Recognition Awards to coincide with National Volunteer Week.
Nominations closed last month for awards, which are open to anyone over the age of 12 years who performed voluntary work within the Launceston municipality throughout 2017.