Did you know that more than 5 million Australians volunteer in their community every year? More than 5,000 of these volunteer with UnitingCare Community.
This week is National Volunteer Week and UnitingCare Community is using the opportunity to acknowledge its volunteers who work in the Lifeline Shops, on the Lifeline Crisis Line, in a range of programs working directly with those needing support, and those volunteer who are working tirelessly behind the scenes.
In Queensland, Lifeline services are operated by UnitingCare Community, a service group of UnitingCare Quensland and part of a broader health and community services network which supports more than 14,000 people, employs over 15,000 staff and works with 8,500 volunteers in more than 400 locations.
“We work with volunteers across a range of services – volunteers who work with vulnerable and isolated members of our community, those who are helping raise the funds to support our programs by working in a Lifeline shop or at our events, and those who are helping project manage behind-the-scenes,” UnitingCare Community’s Volunteer Manager, Anastasia Magriplis said today.
“The theme of this year’s Volunteer Week is ‘Everyone Counts’ and UnitingCare Community would like to thank each and every volunteer in the community who are consistently loyal and giving of their time to help others in need.”
In addition to the Lifeline services, UnitingCare Community provides counselling and crisis support; child and family care services; disability support and social inclusion programs.
“UnitingCare Community is always looking for more volunteers,” Ms Magriplis said.
“Volunteering is a great way to learn and develop new skills, meet like-minded people in your community, discover new interests and hobbies, expand your life experiences – and all while helping the community,” Ms Magriplis said.
“Lifeline’s national crisis support service, as well as our other local community services, relies heavily upon our motivated volunteers. It is the work of these individuals that allows Lifeline to connect with over a million Australians every year.”
Opportunities to volunteer in a Lifeline Shop or warehouse, or at our annual events like Booikfest are available, as are other volunteering opportunities such as working as a community visitor, in a disability program, or helping with project and administration.
For information on how to volunteer for UnitingCare Community, contact the Volunteer Management team on 3250 1927, 3250 1977 or email volunteer [at] uccommunity [dot] org [dot] au.
Hands Up! Volunteer NewsletterIf you are a current UnitingCare Community or Lifeline volunteer and do not receive our volunteer newsletter, please email your details to talkingtogether [at] uccommunity [dot] org [dot] au (talkingtogether [at] uccommunity [dot] org [dot] au). |
Volunteering at a Lifeline retail storeOur Stores
Lifeline has over 150 shops in Queensland with each store providing the community with quality products including clothing, toys, appliances and furniture at an affordable price. All proceeds go towards the continued support of Lifeline’s 24-hour Crisis Counselling Line, free face-to-face counselling services, and support programs for children and families.
What we need
UnitingCare Community needs volunteers to help provide assistance at each retail store. To become a retail volunteer, we require a commitment of four hours of your time per week to ensure consistent rostering and smooth operation of your chosen store.
What's in it for you?
Becoming a volunteer at a Lifeline Shop offers you a chance to:
Visit the Lifeline Shops page for more information about our stores as well as to find your nearest shop.
Telephone counselling volunteersWho are we looking for?
Lifeline is looking for people from all walks of life who are prepared to:
Training
While the training offered to telephone counsellors is challenging in terms of time commitment and willingness to work openly and respectully in large and small groups, it is also very rewarding.
Lifeline is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and offers a course developed in line with accredited standards, including practical components which involve supervised telephone counselling shifts and support.
Given the diverse nature of our calls, telephone counsellors are expected to commit not only to the basic training but also to regular shift work, ongoing supervision and professional development.
Information sessions
Information sessions are held prior to the commencement of counselling training courses. For information on session times, course dates, costs or any other enquiries please contact your nearest Lifeline Centre.
Volunteering at Lifeline eventsLifeline Bookfests
Though its origins date back some 20 years ago in Brisbane, there are now several Lifeline Bookfests held throughout Queensland every year, needing hundreds of volunteers annually to help make each event a success. Below is a list of dates and contact numbers for each location:
Christmas Gift Wrap
Christmas is all about giving and what better way to get into the spirit than by lending a hand to raise money that will support the continuation of Lifeline’s services.
Each year, volunteers join in the Christmas festivities by donating their time to wrap presents and raise much needed funds for Lifeline’s counselling services and support programs.
The Christmas Gift Wrap will be held in the month leading up to Christmas at various shopping centres throughout Queensland. To get involved and/or to find out which shopping centre is participating in the Lifeline Christmas Gift Wrap in your area, contact your local Lifeline Centre. Some Lifeline Centres also organise Mother's Day and Father's Day gift wrap activities, so be sure to enquire about these, too.
Other events
Each Lifeline Centre hosts additional events in their local area that require volunteers (e.g. clothing sales, concerts, family fun days etc.). Please visit our Events page for regular updates on other volunteering opportunities or contact volunteer [at] uccommunity [dot] org [dot] au (Lifeline's Volunteer Management team) to be included in our volunteer mailing list.
Many of our programs have volunteer opportunities all around Queensland, including community visiting, project work, administration, disability support work, warehouse, English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers and case management. For more information, please contact volunteer [at] uccommunity [dot] org [dot] au (Lifeline's Volunteer Management team).