Society & Culture

volunteer work

Society & Culture

Posted by: Hilary

20th Feb 2012 01:37am

I am interested in learning about what volunteer work people do, how they got started in it, what it involves and what they like about it or not like about it?

liz
  • 17th Mar 2012 02:51pm

My husband and I volunteer for an organisation which sends containers of goods to Romania. Its an extremely poor country, the people have very little or no income, and there is very little to buy even if they did have any money. We send new clothing and shoes, blankets, household linen etc, and refurbished furniture, hospital equipment, bikes, prams etc. Local Christian pastors are in charge of fair distribution so we are confident that the goods get to where they are needed. We work alongside Romanians here in Melbourne, who know the needs of their countrymen. We spend a lot of time sorting, counting and packing, and my husband cleans and repairs the bikes, prams, medical equipment. I also knit blankets which keeps me occupied in the evening while watching TV. The containers go hopefully twice a year, and we rely on donations to buy and ship them. Our group is associated with 2 orphanages, and an aged care home, which was built from scratch on a pastors piece of land and furnished and equipped by gifts from Australia. We love doing this work, and feel that what people throw out, someone else can use. We are such a wasteful society here, but we are doing our bit to recycle all the good stuff that others don't want.


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