By Jess Baker
From firefighters to animal rescuers and festival organisers to aged care companions, the Southern Downs and Granite Belt is home to a diverse population of volunteers.
This week – National Volunteer Week – Australia is celebrating the significant contribution of its almost six million volunteers with the theme: ‘Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine.’
The week serves as a reminder to recognise, celebrate and thank volunteers, to reconnect to the important act of giving, and to re-imagine how we might better support volunteers in our community.
66-year-old Roxanne Schutt is one of thousands of volunteers in the region, and one of some 20 volunteers at the Warwick Visitor Information Centre.
She has served the local community in her role as volunteer for three years now, and said she has loved every minute.
“That’s my outlet … coming in and doing the Information Centre, because you’re talking to people from all walks of life,” Roxanne said.
Volunteers at the region’s visitor information centres are often visitors’ first point of contact in the area, there to offer friendly advice and directions with a smile.
But they also do plenty of work behind the scenes, like manning the front desk, stocking shelves, and ensuring the centre is always full of supplies, maps, brochures and other goods.
Roxanne’s favourite part of the job, she said, is meeting new people and learning about new places.
“I love talking to the people and finding out where they’ve been and where they’re heading to,” Roxanne said.
“I love finding out what their places are like where they live … and how they’re travelling.”
She said she appreciates the social aspect of volunteering, as she spent most of her working life in the hospitality industry and it is familiar to her.
“I think after I retire, I’ll keep on volunteering because I enjoy the work,” Roxanne said.
“… It’s great. And we go out for information days. The last one we went out to was the Solar Farm.”
These days, Roxanne works three four-hour shifts at the Information Centre per week – in two of which she is joined by her 26-year-old daughter, a fellow volunteer.
Roxanne’s advice to others considering becoming a volunteer is to “just do it”, as every person is bound to learn something new from sharing their time with others.
To register your interest in volunteering at either the Warwick Visitor Information Centre or the Stanthorpe Visitor Information Centre, call Southern Downs Regional Council on 1300 697 372 or email edu@sdrc.qld.gov.au.
To search for other volunteer opportunities, visit www.volunteeringqld.org.au/.
