National Volunteer Week is a chance for all of us to celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers.
National Volunteer Week (16 – 22 May 2022) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering. Volunteering brings people together; it builds communities and creates a better society for everyone. National Volunteer Week is a chance for all of us to celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers.
Through Pancare Foundation’s volunteer program we are building a community within our community. Many of our volunteers have been impacted by upper GI cancers, many are former carers who have lost, mums, dads, siblings and partners. Our hope is that through our volunteering community our volunteers will be able to support each other as we build more opportunities for them to come together.
Our volunteer program was revamped in 2021 and we continue to make improvements to how we engage with, enable and acknowledge our volunteer community.
Since the program’s July 2021 relaunch, we have grown to 129 registered and trained volunteers. 39 of our volunteers have provided support across 23 volunteer campaigns contributing to 593.5 volunteering hours!
Our volunteers play a vital role in helping us deliver our programs and events as well as raising awareness for our cause nationally. We have a diverse cohort of volunteers from university students to retired professionals, they generously provide expertise across business administration, event support, editing and copywriting, staffing community events such as Bunning’s BBQs and much more. We are so appreciative of our volunteers and the vital role they play in the Foundation’s success.
Our volunteers are passionate and committed to helping us change the outcome for those affected by upper GI cancers. Many of our volunteers have been impacted by these cancers and they are an inspiring group of people to work with. Volunteers are valued members of Pancare’s team and we are committed to providing a supportive and rewarding workplace for our volunteers.
In honour of National Volunteer Week we’d like to introduce you to two hardworking members of our volunteer community:
Dan Lape | Volunteer since September 2021
Since Dan registered as a volunteer at Pancare, he has completed 50 volunteering hours, editing Pancare’s new PanSupport Strategy and writing our stories of hope.
Dan joined our volunteer program as resident editor after applying for the role advertised through Boroondara Skills Bank. Dan is a recently retired print journalist who has held many senior writing and editing positions with News Limited, as well as owning an advertising and PR firm for over 20 years. Dan was looking for a way to use his skills and give back to the community. He’s been an amazing asset to our volunteering program, utilising his professional skills to support Pancare.
Kathy Kelly | Volunteer since 2015
Kathy often helps out at head office, packing merchandise and completing merchandise audits in the lead up to big events. We’re delighted that Kathy has decided to help more regularly, she’s currently in training to cover the Pancare phoneline on a Friday.
Kathy’s late husband Ian was a Pancare patient, he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on the 19th April 2018. Kathy is motivated by the memory of her beautiful husband and she enjoys volunteering as it makes her feel like she is doing something for Ian, and it helps her feel close to him.
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