We must recognise and celebrate all volunteering – what volunteers, volunteer leaders and volunteer programs contribute.
This requires that the Victorian community broaden its understanding of volunteering. The community must see and value all forms of volunteering as making an important contribution. This ranges from the smallest gesture exchanged between friends and neighbours, through to the essential role played by emergency management volunteers. Our shared definition of volunteering must consider community-giving and other forms of fluid and flexible volunteering that many First Nations peoples and multicultural communities are highly engaged in.
Although rarely sought by volunteers themselves, recognition is a critical part of a vibrant and strong culture of volunteering. Volunteering is a lot more than donated time. On average, volunteers incur out-of-pocket expenses of $1,497 per year, or $6.69 per volunteer hour.1
Together with Volunteering Victoria, we will highlight and celebrate the amazing efforts of Victoria’s hard-working volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations.
The impact of volunteering across Victoria is extensive. But the lack of data collection and analysis results in most outcomes going ‘under the radar’. For example, although anecdotally we know that many multicultural communities have high rates of volunteering, the data often suggests lower rates in other parts of the community. Making sure our data collection and analysis is more thorough and inclusive is essential.
Informal volunteering must be captured as part of the volunteering picture. This is particularly so given the strong correlation between the health and resilience of the community and rates of volunteering.
Priority outcomes
- Strong community awareness of volunteering encourages participation and respect for those who volunteer.
- The value and impact of volunteering, in all its forms, is celebrated across communities.
Priority actions
- The Victorian Government to review and reimagine the current volunteering awards. This is part of developing a comprehensive and coordinated engagement and communication strategy at the statewide and local levels.
This action will be delivered in years 1 and 2.
- The Victorian Government to raise the profile of informal volunteers and their contributions. The government will do this through promoting and encouraging the celebration of informal volunteering using collaborative and dynamic engagement platforms such as social media.
This action will be delivered in years 1 to 4.
- The Victorian Government to investigate approaches for understanding more about informal and community volunteering. This will allow it to be captured in volunteering statistics, grants and awards.
This action will be delivered in years 3 to 4.
- The Victorian Government, in partnership with Volunteering Victoria, to develop approaches to measuring the cost and impact of volunteering. This will include for the volunteer themselves, the person or organisation they are supporting, the local area and the community more broadly.
This action will be delivered in years 3 to 5.
Case study
Shenei supports Pacific Islanders to get the jab
Shenei Meisi Penaia works with The Pasefika Navigators, a youth advocacy and advisory group. The group helps to circulate reputable health information about COVID-19 to her community.
‘[The] pop-up clinics for the Pasifika and Māori communities was a callout to Islanders on the westside to come and get vaccinated. ‘Or even just have a chat with a Pasifika doctor,’ Shenai said. ‘Having Pasifika people on site made it more comfortable for our people and provided ways to translate and relay important information.’
Shenei worked with doctors and nurses of Pasifika background to hold information sessions and respond to community concerns. As a young person studying in the medical field, she got clinical and community experience through volunteering. At the same time, she got to address vaccine hesitancy in her community.
‘The community became more inclined to ask professionals about the vaccines and the pandemic and felt safe to. This promoted community harmony and meant a relief of much anxiety and panic.’
Shenei also worked with Pacific Island Creative Arts Australia (PICAA). PICAA ran a culturally appropriate food and essentials drive for Pasifika families.
‘Having my 21st birthday in a vaccination centre was actually a highlight. I was in the Broadmeadows COVID screening team. It was fun. I saw a lot of community come through wishing me happy birthday.’
In 2021 Shenei was awarded the Multicultural Commission's Youth Award. The ceremony honoured 52 Victorians who supported multicultural communities in crisis response and pandemic recovery efforts.
Footnote
[1] State of Volunteering 2020, State of volunteering in Victoria 2020. Retrieved from: https://stateofvolunteering.org.au/victoria/
Updated