By Callum Ludwig
Eastern Volunteers will be bringing a roving expo to Lilydale and Chirnside Park to promote volunteering in the Yarra Ranges over the next month.
Having started in Warburton and Yarra Junction on Wednesday 23 February, the expo will be visiting towns in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges over the next six weeks, with visits planned on Wednesdays for Lilydale, Chirnside Park, Healesville, and Belgrave. Each location will hold the expo twice, including another visit to Warburton and Yarra Junction.
Times and locations for Lilydale and Chirnside Park are still being organised.
Project Officer at Eastern Volunteers Jo Maddock said it is important to revitalise volunteer efforts after the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to many projects, groups, and organisations.
“Volunteering has kind of taken a backseat over the past few years obviously, because people working from home and a lot of things stopped,” she said.
“We’re just really trying to get the message out there that there’s a variety of different organizations who offer a variety of opportunities out there in the Yarra Ranges.”
Confirmed dates for the expo include Healesville on 9 March 10am to 2pm and 6 April 12pm to 4pm behind The Memo on Maroondah Highway and in Belgrave on 16 March 10am to 1pm and 20 April 1pm to 4pm outside of the Emporium along Burwood Highway.
The project, Volunteering Yarra Ranges, has been funded by the Yarra Ranges Council and aims to encourage community engagement with local volunteer organisations, educating residents about the volunteering opportunities available and why they are so important.
Ms Maddock said she thinks now more than ever it’s important to be connected to your community, especially after Covid and the June 2021 storms.
“It’s really important to be connected to your community to make sure that you’re giving back and helping people out that are in need,” she said.
“Just making sure that we’re empowering each other and staying connected. Volunteering is good for that”
The project is promoting and supporting a wide variety of volunteer groups, from Church support groups, disability services, emergency relief organisations, and sporting groups.
Ms Maddock believes getting involved in volunteering can also benefit those looking to find their way back into the workforce.
“It’s good to gain confidence, gain experience and gain that knowledge that they need to get back out into the workforce, paid workforce or just to give back to the community if they want to,” she said.
Eastern Volunteers encourage people to volunteer within their means, with any efforts from volunteering one day a week, three days a week or a couple of hours a day going a long way to helping those in need in the community feel supported.
“It makes them feel included by creating an inclusive experience for them. It’s a way to bring the community together to have everyone supporting each other through any hardships,” she said.
“Volunteering definitely makes people overall happier and healthier. Having a good quality of life depends on being connected to people.”
