It’s a family affair down at State Emergency Service (SES) Sunbury headquarters, where controller Anthony White ESM and his three daughters volunteer.
They’re some of the faces of the state government’s ‘Ready to Volunteer’ campaign, launched at SES Sunbury on Monday by local MP Josh Bull.
The campaign is aimed at boosting the numbers of volunteers across the state following a decline during the pandemic – national surveys revealed about 36 per cent of Australians volunteered before the pandemic, but fell to just 26 per cent last year.
In the video, Mr White speaks about the importance of giving back and the relief on peoples’ faces when a member of the SES arrives in an emergency.
Mr Bull said volunteering can take many forms, and all of them were vital.
“Prior to the pandemic, volunteering contributed some $58 billion to the Victorian economy, that’s one way to put it in terms of an economic figure, but it really is those interpersonal interactions,” he said.
“[It’s] what volunteers give to each other and give to the community which means so much.”
The campaign is part of the government’s Victorian Volunteer Strategy, released in May this year, and is hoped to show the community how they can get involved in ways that suit them and their skills.
Disability, Ageing and Carers Minister Colin Brooks highlighted the wide range of benefits for people who volunteer and the people they support.
“There’s no better time to reconnect with your community and experience the sense of purpose and achievement that comes from volunteering,” Mr Brooks said.
“There’s no such thing as a typical volunteer – everyone has something to offer. Whatever your background, skills or experience, there’s a role out there that’s right for you.”
SES Sunbury community education team leader Rachael White followed her father’s footsteps into the recognisable orange uniform and said the feeling of helping vulnerable community members, like older people, was why she was there.
“The feeling of them knowing that help [is available], that makes me feel very warm,” she said.
