annual volunteering report · a tanunda hairdresser opens her salon up on a sunday and provides...
TRANSCRIPT
Annual Volunteering Report
2018-2019
Contents
04 03
11 09
10 05
13 12 16
Introduction
Volunteer Programs at LCC
Recruitment & Induction
Volunteer Management
Links with the Sector
Conclusion
Volunteer Hours
Community Groups
Volunteer Recognition
The Impact of Volunteering -
Good News Stories
Lutheran Community Care (LCC) volunteers are at the heart of our organisation. LCC is privileged to be
supported by a large group of volunteers across the majority of our community development and
administration programs. 50 years ago this year LCC was birthed by a group of passionate volunteers who had
a vision to enrich the lives of individuals in their community. Today our volunteers continue to be a unique
group of individuals that provide countless hours of dedicated service to the organisation and to the people we
serve.
Volunteering with LCC is all about being and taking part in your community, its an avenue to live out values, to
be challenged, gain confidence, make new friendships, and gain new skills.
Volunteering with LCC gives opportunity to showcase skills and experience as well as undertake training to
support workers in their volunteer roles and add to their experience.
LCC is proud of our wonderfully unique group of dedicated volunteers, together we continue to build stronger,
caring communities inspired through the love of God.
Introduction
03
Volunteer Hours Program Number of
Volunteers
Volunteer
Hours
Administration Sefton Park 6 737
Alice Springs 6 1100
Barossa Cooking Classes 1 54
Budget Workers 6 252
Centre for Learning 3 170
Christmas Hampers Barossa Valley 72 356
Blair Athol 23 248.75
Community Visitors Scheme 85 2868
Counselling 1 144
Emergency Relief Barossa Valley 16 603
Blair Athol 16 2798.72
FamilyZone Hub; including:
Home Visiting
Mobile Crèche
40 4099
LCC Board 9 575
New Neighbors Settlement Support 11 475.5
Op Shops Blair Athol 51 15,149.5
Payneham 24 2,099
The Precinct 12 1344
Smithfield 16 3,600
Swan Reach 26 4320
Valley View 21 785
Peachey Place Living Skills Centre 10 2640
Tax Help 1 32
* Volunteering SA/NT calculate that each hour of
volunteer time is worth $41.72, based on figures
from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
VALUE VOLUNTEERING LCC VOLUNTEERS HAVE ON
THE COMMUNITY *
$1,948,385
NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS
456
TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS
46,701.47
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Volunteer Programs at LCC
Site Support
Volunteers assist staff in various duties across a number of
sites. Including administration, reception duties and program
support.
Location: Peachey Place, Family Zone, Blair Athol, Centre for
Learning, Glynde and Sefton Park
Alice Springs Op Shop
So exciting that the shop has reopened, providing for the community through experience and resource.
Location: Alice Springs
Centre for Learning
An invaluable number of volunteers assist coordinators with course and program administration ,WHS and LCC Policy
work.
Location: Magill
Budget Workers
Trained volunteers assist Financial Counsellors by providing a triage service to assess a client's level of financial difficulty and assisting with some casework such as making referrals, undertaking negotiations for utility bills and teaching basic
budgeting skills.
Location: Blair Athol
Christmas Hamper Appeal
Every year Volunteers assist with registrations and the
preparation and distribution of hampers and toys
from LCC offices. LCC provides over 800 Christmas hampers
to families and individuals on low incomes.
Location: Alice Springs, Blair Athol, Nuriootpa
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Volunteer Programs at LCC
Community Visitors Scheme
A large group of volunteers regularly visit residents in age
care and in home that no not have regular contact with
friends or relatives and may be isolated or lonely.
Location: Adelaide Hills, Murray Bridge, Strathalbyn, Victor Harbor and Yankalilla, Barossa Valley, Balaklava and Malala,
and West and North East suburbs of Adelaide
Anti Poverty Week
LCC Volunteers never cease to find ways to help people in need.
Location: Swan Reach, Barossa
Emergency Relief
Clothing, food and other assistance is available to people who
are experiencing hardship. Emergency Relief volunteers
provide assessment for practical assistance. Professional
training is provided. Volunteers also help sort and keep
pantries of donated food organised, including monitoring
stocks and note when food is approaching its use by date.
Location: Blair Athol, Nuriootpa
Family Zone
“Where we treat a child as though they are already the person they are capable of becoming”
Our amazing volunteers assist with making this comment
become reality by daily providing services that support and empower children and their families.
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Volunteer Programs at LCC
Youth Volunteering
Many young professionals who work full time volunteer
across LCC. Committing time and energy because they
believe in what LCC stands for. And what it provides to the
community.
Location: Varied
Lutheran Community Care Board
The LCC Board members are ultimately responsible for the governance of LCC. Members of the Board are volunteers
who bring a range of skills and experience to the organisation.
Multi Cultural and Settlement Services
MCSS volunteers assist with a variety of tasks including document help (such as housing applications, reading and translating letters), supporting case workers, events and
festivals, various groups, such as women’s social club, Housing Rent Club, Job Readiness Partnership project, Youth
activity (AYSA), interpreting etc Location: Blair Athol
Mobile Crèche
Wonderful volunteers from Family Zone provide a Mobile
Crèche free of charge to assist parents who attend
community courses.
Location: various metropolitan areas
Op Shops
Op shop volunteers are LCC’s largest group of volunteers and
are key partners in our mission to build strong, caring
communities.
Location: Blair Athol, Payneham, Valley View, Smithfield,
Precinct, Swan Reach, Alice Springs
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Peachey Place Living Skills Centre
Peachy Place is a center where people can come and find friendship, learn skills for every day life, build on existing strengths. Volunteers at Peachy Place Living Skills Centre
assist with a variety of tasks, including a tool library, community garden, administration and living skills
information sessions.
Location: Davoren Park
Shed Workers This team work tirelessly in the background sorting and
distributing donated goods. And performing lots of unseen tasks.
Location: Blair Athol
Other Support
Together with many informal voluntary partnerships LCC provides support to those who need it.
Location: Varied
Barossa community
A lovely 80 year old man donates eggs every week . Last
financial year he donated 205 dozen.
A Tanunda hairdresser opens her salon up on a Sunday and
provides free haircuts and pampering to LCC clients and
people in the community that are struggling.
The client is also provided with lunch.
Location: Barossa Valley
Volunteer Programs at LCC
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Groups from schools, churches and local businesses have contributed to LCC through one-off group volunteering efforts and other support. These include:
Community Groups
Adelaide Bethlehem Lutheran Church Adelaide St Stephen’s Lutheran Church Albert Park Good News Lutheran Church Angaston Zion Lutheran Church Barossa CoOp Barossa Knitting Group Barossa Lutheran Churches and Women’s Guilds Brinkworth Lutheran Guild Campbelltown Christian Reform Church CentaCare Dernancourt St John’s Lutheran Church Elizabeth St Peter’s Lutheran Church Endeavour College, Mawson Lakes Glandore Calvary Lutheran Church Glenelg St Paul’s Lutheran Church Glynde Zion Lutheran Church Golden Grove Lutheran Church Hahndorf St Michael’s Lutheran Church Immanuel Lutheran College Kadina Immanuel Lutheran Church Kapunda Sewing Group Kickstart Kind Hearted Kitchen Living Waters Primary School, Alice Springs Lobethal Lutheran Church
Loxton Concordia Lutheran Church Luther College, Victoria Magill Pilgrim Lutheran Church Maitland Lutheran School Mannum St Martin’s Lutheran Church Mawson Lakes Community Church Mount Barker St Mark’s Lutheran Church North Adelaide Immanuel Lutheran Church Nuriootpa Library Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Para Vista Para Vista, Good Shepherd Lutheran School Pasadena Trinity Lutheran Church Primary Health SA Redeemer Lutheran School, Nuriootpa Salisbury Rotary Club Salisbury The Ark Lutheran Church Semaphore Lutheran Church Sunday Mail Blanket Appeal Tatachilla College, McLaren Vale The City of Adelaide Lions Club Unley St John’s Lutheran Church Warradale Faith Lutheran Church Woodside St John’s Lutheran Church Woodville West St Peter’s Lutheran Church Yirara College, Alice Springs
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Recruitment & Induction
LCC have an extensive recruitment and induction procedure. Volunteers are provided with information about their relevant to their roles, rights, responsibilities and LCC policies. All volunteers must obtain a working with children check plus any other program specific screening checks. Training is provided to volunteers as part of their induction. Volunteers are also given the opportunity to ask questions and explore supports which are available to them as part of their volunteering role. The Volunteer Administrator responds to general enquiries, matching people with relevant Volunteer opportunities within the organisation. Volunteer Coordinators undertake program-specific recruitment and respond to the enquiries this generates.
During this reporting period LCC advertised volunteer opportunities through a variety of methods, including:
local churches Instant Impact (micro volunteering) Lutheran Women of South Australia Convention LCA SA/NT Together Magazine LCC website Links with local Volunteer Resource Centres Presence at expos and other community events SEEK Volunteer and GoVolunteer websites Messenger Press
LCC Facebook
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Volunteer
On the 29th May the Barossa Volunteer
Luncheon was held at Faith Lutheran College.
The meal was prepared and served by the very
capable year 10 hospitality students to 60
volunteers. Beautiful musical items and
singing gave a lovely feel to the day and a fine
time had by all who attended. A beautiful 50th
Anniversary cake was enjoyed by all the
volunteers. What a very special group of
people we hope you felt appreciated of behalf
of all you support.
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The 23rd May saw us gather at
Immanuel College Novar Gardens to
celebrate National Volunteer week
over our thank you lunch.
Volunteers were served a lovely meal,
enjoyed by all.
Rohan Feegrade LCC new EO
addressed the lunch followed by some
stellar entertainment including
Acapella and Jazz from the senior stu-
dents.
It was a privilege to spend the day with
100 of our volunteers letting them
know that what they do is not taken
for granted and that it makes a differ-
ence to many peoples lives.
Fourteen staff and four volunteer team leaders are responsible for the recruitment, day to day support and management of volunteers involved in Programs across the organisation. The Volunteer Administrator supports Volunteer Coordinators via training, information sharing and maintaining organisational volunteer resources. Mary Young commenced in the role of Volunteer Administrator in Jan 2019 as Renee Stevens commenced maternity leave for twelve months.
The LCC Volunteer Coordinators Workshop is held annually. The Workshop provides Volunteer Coordinators and Team leaders with an opportunity for mutual support and shared learning. This years workshop was held on 28th August at ‘The Precinct’ Coventry Rd Smithfield Park. The focus of this years workshop was about change, specifically around ‘Who moved my cheese’ a simple analogy that teaches us about change. What do we think about it, how it affects our lives, work places and us within it. How do we make the most out of change and what to do when we don’t know what to do with change. Training was also provided in regard to the new Working With Children Check process and how to support volunteers as we make the transition.
This years Volunteer Committee has met monthly as a phone in meeting instead of face to face. This has helped all the coordinators reduce time away from their busy programs as they maintain oversight of volunteering issues at LCC. Committee meetings provide a forum for coordinators.
Volunteer Management
Links with the Sector LCC continue to maintain links with the volunteer sector. LCC are members of Volunteering SA/NT, Northern Volunteering, Southern Volunteering and Volunteering Barossa and Light. Volunteer Coordinators and volunteers have the opportunity to attend networking events, training in their regions.
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On 1st July with the change of legislation around working with children, LCC made a decision that all volunteers
as well as staff should hold a ‘Working With Children Check’ This because the organisation is an accredited child
safe organisation. In coming months staff will work with and support volunteers to obtain this free check. LCC are
registered as a Requesting Organisation with the Department for Human Services (DHS) as well as with Centrelink
as an Approved Provider of Voluntary Work for recipients of selected payments.
The Impact of Volunteering - Good News Stories
Emergency Relief Blair Athol, how people say thank you
Lunch at Blair Athol today was provided by an ER client who was so thankful for the
help she received from Grace and Alice, two of our amazing ER volunteers! This re-
minds me of the parable about the widows mite ,when someone shares from the
little they have…..
Family Zone Ingle Farm
We wanted to highlight the beautiful volunteers from local services who support Family zone with donations of goods as well as moral support. This is invaluable!
We gained a small contract to train volunteers to work in crèche at some of the Community Hubs as well as other community services within northern Adelaide.
This arrangement came about because of the high level of stress children were showing when first engaging with school and/or kindy. We are able to now provide a highly structured crèche which focuses on children being school and kindy ready.
There is a high focus on caring separation from parents and engaging in structured learning, with literacy and lan-guage high on the agenda.
Recently we received some encouraging feedback from some of these crèche facilitators and a local kindy: – They have noted the improvement in children’s readiness to engage and their
reduced anxiety.
Good work to the lovely volunteers who have readily engaged in this training and whole
heartedly taken this task on board.
Emergency Relief
Family Zone
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The Impact of Volunteering - Good News Stories
We've had some deadly volunteers help us this last year! Most have been short term but what a great difference
they made when they were here helping us. The best news is that one of our volunteers now works with us!
That’s what can happen when you volunteer, you might make a track to paid work and that is Good News!
NNSS program assisted volunteers to improve their knowledge of work culture in Australia. It also provided work experience for volunteers. The feedback from volunteers shows that they have been satisfied with the support they have received from LCC and NNSS and they all found the voluntary work with LCC very helpful and beneficial towards their integration in society. One of NNSS volunteer got into an Interpreting course at TAFE SA. He found his voluntary work with NNSS as a pathway to his future education. Another one stated that her voluntary work with NNSS was very helpful with her current study at Uni. We are deeply appreciative of the generosity of volunteers who give their time, energy and care to those they serve through their volunteer roles.
Volunteers continue to support us in the most wonderful ways at Centre for learning. We have had some changes with workers but the most wonderful outcome of volunteering is when volunteers gain paid work. “Its so exciting when wonderful volunteers come to us and then gain paid work and stay
Alice Springs
Administration
Magill
Multicultural and
Settlement Service's
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The Impact of Volunteering - Good News Stories
Some comments from volunteers, residents and clients: Community Visitors
Scheme
The first group was an
amazing success!
Staff anticipated we
would talk for half an
hour then have
afternoon tea and
finish. Well.. We
started at 2.15 and
just after 4.00, I
suggested we plan
the next session and
finish!
“Seeing my lady is the
highlight of my week”
Resident to a CVS
visitor- “your visits
are so much better
than any medication.
“My visiting with CVS
saved my life”
Home care client to
her CVS visitor. “Its
just as well we don’t
live next to each
other as we would
never get any work
done.”
A volunteers story: Maryann has been a bright presence in the life of 100
year old Nel, who she visits for morning tea every fortnight.
Despite the large age gap, the two women have formed a solid friendship
and enjoy each other's company. “Technically Nel could be my mother, or
she could be my grandmother, but she is neither, she is my friend,”
Maryann said. “Which is a great thing, if you're a hundred years old, I think
you’ve earned the right to be as picky as you want about who you associate
with, so its just as well Nel tells me she is pleased to have me in her life”
When Maryann initially began visiting Nel, she worried about what they
might have in common or if anything she had to say would be of interest to
Nel. However, she didn’t have to worry. “Nel is interested in almost
everything and pays a lot of attention to current affairs, Maryann said. “
This wonderful lady teaches me a lot of things,” “She teaches me what
patience looks like, what it is to be tolerant of others. Most of all she
makes me laugh. Each time I walk back up the street to my house after
visiting , I am ever grateful that I say that advertisement for DVS volunteers!
“ I have nothing to look forward to here, expect Tuesdays when you come to see me”
Resident’s comment to CVS visitor.
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Michael attended the
funeral of the
resident he had been
visiting. It was a very
small funeral, with
only six others there.
The family were very
pleased to see him.
LCC are proud to work with our team of volunteers and thank them for their selfless giving of their time, energy and care to those they serve through their volunteer roles. The figures below reiterate the contribution that the volunteering community makes to LCC and in turn the people we serve. 456 volunteer positions were filled 46,701 volunteer hours were contributed to the organisation Average contribution of 102.41 hours per volunteer per year the dollar worth of volunteer hours was at least $1,948,382 LCC will continue be grateful for and build upon the valued support offered by corporate, school, church and reference groups to enhance volunteer services. In a year of change and challenge we acknowledge the ongoing commitment and support for Volunteering at LCC displayed by the Board, Executive Management and Leadership Team. Together shoulder to shoulder is how we make a difference in our community.
Conclusion
Mary Young
Volunteer Administrator
September 2019
“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you
volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in”.
~Author Unknown
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