COMMUNITY volunteerism is the glue that binds people together. While giving time to enrich the lives of others delivers clear benefits to those receiving support, it can be just as deeply rewarding for those who give.
Crucial to developing personal skills, fostering empathy and building a more compassionate society, young people’s involvement in community volunteerism offers lasting value.
That value is being clearly demonstrated through the Shepparton ACE Secondary College Year 10 Volunteering program, with students spending time with residents at Shepparton Villages’ Rodney Park this term.
Embedded within the Year 10 curriculum, volunteerism at ACE College has students taking on a different community-focused project each term. In Term 1, students worked within their own school community, running art sessions that combined into a large butterfly wall artwork. This term, their focus has shifted outward, supporting aged care residents through hands-on creative activities.
Assisting residents to paint and decorate terracotta pots, students later helped them plant succulents to keep in their rooms as a lasting reminder of the shared experience. Later in the term, visits will include games, music and informal social time, recognising that companionship is just as important as practical assistance.
Supporting the project, Bunnings contributed $150, rounding out the collaboration between Shepparton ACE Secondary College and Shepparton Villages, and highlighting what’s possible when organisations, as well as individuals, come together.
For Year 10 student Lauren Richards, who has her eye on studying law one day, volunteerism is a way to help others while also building skills for the future.
“We’re building up our social skills, getting to know other people in the community and helping them,” she said.
“I think the residents enjoy the visits. There are mostly older people here, and they probably don’t always have the opportunity to connect with young people today.”
