My name is James and I’m 26 years old. I grew up in the community that I now still live in, which is Ferntree Gully. I completed my education at Mountain Gate Primary and St Joseph’s College both in the Knox region. I then went on to pursue my interest as my career servicing local and National businesses specialising in Marketing and digital Media solutions which I have been involved in for the past 8 years. Growing up I was witness to many volunteering efforts from both of my parents when it came to sporting clubs and special interest groups. Volunteering in a variety of different committees, working bees and fundraising events.
Throughout my teenage years I have volunteered in various different locations including soup kitchens and Distribution Hubs who support people with disabilities. Nowadays I am volunteering on Community House Committee which oversees the operations and community engagement aspect of the Not-for-profit business. I was initially invited for my extensive background of Marketing and tech related issues and continued to stay on the committee as a volunteer to provide insight the House Manager and other committee members.
Initially in my early life I had no interest in volunteering however through multiple instances of helping out at one off events I quickly found the positive outcomes and rewards that come along side volunteering. Now later in life I’ve developed a feeling of wanting to be a part of something greater than myself.
Volunteering is a very fulfilling it leaves me feeling happy that I can give back to my community.
I have learnt a lot about people, communication, delegation of tasks and social skills. Working alone throughout my professional career doesn’t allow me the chance to work within a team environment and volunteering has given me a fantastic experience of people with various different views and diverse backgrounds working together towards a singular goal.
I am still working towards volunteering on much larger and more detailed projects however I feel very content with the work that I have put in so far.
To anyone thinking about volunteering I would say, start small, start with what your interests are and start with what you love. Volunteering can be an extremely self fulfilling role so don’t feel bad if you are looking to volunteer for seemingly selfish reasons.
