Inspiring Volunteer Stories

Volunteers contribute to positive change in the community and making the world a better place! Meet some amazing volunteers and be inspired by their stories.

Meet Kate

From helping to create a parklet in Brentwood to protecting our local wetlands, Kate Goodman loves giving back to the community!

Kate has been involved with the Brentwood Village Town Team since its inception in November 2019 and Friends of Booragoon and Blue Gum for 18 months.

She says she enjoys meeting like-minded people and making a difference in the community through projects such as the Long Table Community Dinner.

The Melville Volunteer Resource Centre proved to be a great resource when she was looking to give back to the community.

“Your community becomes your family and you build relationships,” she says.

Kate says she doesn’t just want to sit at home and watch television, she wants to do things and connect with people.

She says if you’re interested in something, then take the step and get involved in it.

Meet Charmaine and Verna

Charmaine D’Costa and Verna Dalton volunteer at the Music and Memories event at Blue Gum Community Centre, which is a music and yoga event for people living with dementia and their carers.

The two volunteers both play the piano, while Charmaine takes charge for the yoga portion of the event.

Verna said playing piano for the Music and Memories attendees was an amazing feeling.

“Sometimes people say they haven’t heard their relative sing for years and that gives you such a lift,” she said.

Charmaine said when she was growing up, her father would play “golden oldies” such as Doris Day and Connie Francis.

“I think songs from that era, I grew up with it with my with my father and we used to have singalongs,” she said.

“I think with this group they are familiar with that era, Vera Lynn and similar artists.”

“It’s lovely because we have a client who gets up and dancing, I played the song You Are My Sunshine and one got teary because it brought back memories.

“They are singalong songs that they enjoy.”

Meet Piney Lakes Bush Crew

Helping our natural environment look its best.

The Piney Lakes Bush Crew meet each Friday to take out weeds and pant native species all the while socialising and connecting with each other.

A group of up to 10 community-minded volunteers meet up each week, with great dedication to help make Piney Lakes Reserve look its best.

Some of the members have been volunteering with the group for more than 10 years.

The Piney Lakes Bush Crew is one of the excellent environmental groups doing amazing work in City of Melville parks and reserves.

Meet Marea

A green thumb with a good cause!

From helping out with sausage sizzles to making sure the gardens at the Willagee Community Centre are looking pretty, Marea Lundgren has been a valued volunteer for more than a decade.

Marea says she feels proud to volunteer and likes getting appreciation from her fellow community members.

She says she loves planting flowers as it adds vibrancy to neighborhood and helps her feel positive.

Her fellow community members often tell her how lovely it is to see the colours from the flowers.

Along her work in the garden, she also lends a hand during film nights and other activities at the community centre.

Meet Alison

After retiring in late 2020, Alison Graham was looking for a way to give back to the community.

She subscribed to the Melville Volunteer Resource Centre eNews looking for what opportunities were out there for her when she saw the opportunity to volunteer at the Civic Square Library.

The opportunity was perfect because it was flexible, close to home and allowed her to connect with great people.

Alison has been volunteering at the library on Wednesday afternoons, shelving, helping to set up for activities and even singing along with Storytime.

“I love it, there are so many things happening, there’s a knitting club, kids doing jigsaws, tutoring, there is English practice, Storytime, handing out compost bags – there’s are always something happening here,” she said.

“I think it’s about giving back, our whole community runs on volunteers.

“It always gives me something to talk about when I go home to my family.

“It keeps the community vibrant and you get a lot out of it.”

Meet Alan

I am a volunteer visitor with the Melville Cares, Community Visitors Scheme (CVS). Volunteer visits are arranged by Melville Cares CVS to provide companionship and friendship to elderly members of our community who may be socially isolated or mobility impaired. Part of my post-retirement plan was to try and make a difference to people’s lives in order to improve their quality of life.

Melville Cares attempts to get a good match between people. In my case the match is perfect. I normally visit an elderly gentleman at one of the local aged care premises once a week; however, due to the current COVID-19 protocol we keep in contact by letter. We have much in common as I spent a year or so living in the same town where he had lived for many years and it is delightful hearing his stories about places in and around the town with which we are both very familiar. We also have the same sporting backgrounds and interests so it really is a very enjoyable get together. It’s true what he says, we have become good mates.

Meet Dawn

An inspiring member of our community who has been volunteering at Melville Cares to assist with their food delivery and participate in their sharing the love program during COVID-19.

Meet Greg

This November I will commence my fourth year of volunteering for Telethon Community Cinemas at Murdoch University. I commit to one night per week and do the occasional nights at Burswood Outdoor Cinema as the need arises. My night may include volunteering in the box office, front of house, bar/candy sales, as a barista, distribution of bean bags and selling raffle tickets.

Working as a dentist for 32 years, I really enjoy the company of my fellow volunteers and the interaction with the general public. The age range of the "vollies" is from university students to retirees like myself and everyone in between. They are all highly motivated to making the cinema experience totally enjoyable for the patrons, whilst raising much needed funds for children's charities.

My involvement with Melville Volunteer Resource Centre was prompted by seeing the sign on Canning Highway in Wireless Hill Park. As I commenced retirement nine years ago, I wanted to give back to the community whilst home in Perth after travelling each year. Through the centre I have made volunteering connections with MSWA, Red Nose, RSPCA, Festival of Perth, Art Gallery Of W.A., and Open House Perth.

Volunteering is now an important part of my life, especially now with the travel limitations due to COVID 19. It has been a great pleasure working with the different organisations, in differing locations and with like minded people who like to contribute back to society.

Meet Mine

Our aim at Friends of Attadale Foreshore Inc (FOAF) is to strengthen communities and ecosystems for their mutual benefit. As an environmental volunteering team, we identify high priority programs and focus on these. This warrants that we plan for actions that are achievable and can produce measurable results.

At FOAF we monitor floristic systems in the reserves and waterways by conducting a range of activities such as weed management, revegetation and Phytophthora Dieback. Weed management is a major part of our work and we have recently removed Fumeria muralis a robust climber. This weed blankets over native species, which flowers and produces seeds which are then dispersed by soil movement or water run-off. When the vegetation is healthy the different layers of vegetation attract faunal species such as the Willie Wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys, which lives all over the reserve.

Environmental volunteering allows me to immerse myself with nature and inspires me to help the environment and understand its value. Volunteering also provides me with benefits such as enhancing my career prospects, using my knowledge, gaining new skills and is a great social experience.

Meet Vicky and Karen

Puppy raiser volunteers at Guide Dogs WA and hear about the amazing work they do within the community. The puppies they are training will grow up to be either a Guide Dog, Autism Assistance Dog, Companion Dog for children and adults with a disability, and/or a Therapy Dog and change someone’s life.

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