Volunteer stories
Why I volunteer at CSF
Diane Spender Julian Kilmartin
Joining CSF in 2014 as a volunteer has been a great decision. I have taught in primary schools in Karingal & Langwarrin for the past 30 years. After retiring, I now had time to volunteer in my local community. I went on the volunteer website, looking at the various volunteer jobs advertised. On seeing an interviewer job advertised, I read the skills needed & thought it would be a good fit for me.
I rung a friend for advice, concerned that I didn’ t know all the answers for client’ s problems & concerns. She explained that empathy for the client’ s issues was the main thing & the knowledge to assist them would grow. This thought has proved quite true, as without empathy for the client we couldn’ t do our job. We do not judge but assist them in any way we can to make their journey less difficult.
The friendly & caring atmosphere in the office is designed to support & share our knowledge. The collaborative problem solving by fellow interviewers & managers is what I really enjoy. We as a team endeavour to do our best to address our client’ s needs.
Many clients are overwhelmed by our assistance & are very thankful. Having few people to turn to for assistance makes them very vulnerable. Showing kindness to them & having their problems listened to helps to lighten their heavy load. Gaining an insight into the problems many in our community suffer has taught me a lot. I now see many issues from a different point of view & endeavour to share this knowledge with family & friends.
I would thoroughly recommend volunteering at CSF in any capacity to anyone who can spare a few hours each week.
I began volunteering with CSF a little over a year ago, and having recently graduated I was keen to get some real-life experience within the community services sector. I was aware that CSF had a reputation for providing volunteers with on-going training and support, and thought that it may provide an opportunity to develop new skills.
To this end, my expectations were both met and exceeded. Formal training sessions have been specific and relevant to the many challenges faced by CSF clients. I have also been able to draw upon the wealth of experience held by staff and volunteers alike, enabling me to work with clients in identifying and addressing their needs.
However, as the weeks went by, my motivation for volunteering with CSF began to change. It became less about my professional development and more about the people accessing the service, and the stories they had to tell.
Several aspects stood out for me, not the least being the sheer number of clients accessing the service; a testament not only to how hard some people are doing it in the local community, but to the vital role that CSF performs. I was also struck by the range and complexity of the issues these people face, generally with an amazing level of resilience in the face of adversity. This resilience often being demonstrated by taking the first step and coming into CSF.
Whether through the provision of emergency relief, advocacy or referral to other local agencies, I have gained immense satisfaction, in that over the course of interviews, clients become aware that they have realistic options, and that they are able to see a way forward.
20 The measure of a community is how it treats its most vulnerable members