IT’S NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

It’s National Volunteer Week (21 – 27 May 2018), a time to give volunteers that extra bit of acknowledgment and appreciation for the generous contribution they make to Australian communities.  The theme for 2018 is ‘Give a Little. Change a Lot’ – even a small volunteer commitment can make a huge difference!

Volunteers are the backbone of IOE’s service provision.

Without volunteers we would not be able to run any of our recreation programs for children, the long running host program would not exist, our family camps and activities would not provide families with the support they currently do and all our adult services – recreation programs and post school options – would be considerably diminished.

Volunteers bring so much to IOE. Not just the immense amount of time they contribute, not just the cost savings they allow, but their diversity, their unique and individual personalities, outlooks on life, interests and skills all enrich our entire IOE family.

With the introduction of the NDIS there has been a degree of uncertainty in regard to the place of volunteers in future service provision. Following extensive lobbying by Volunteering Victoria and numerous volunteer organisations (IOE included), the NDIA has recognised that this is an area which needs to be addressed in some way.  HAAC which currently funds IOE’s volunteer program has given the undertaking that it will continue to do so. Volunteers have always played a valued part in many of our program areas and will continue to do so into the future.

IOE continues to work closely with volunteering organisations such as Volunteering Victoria to ensure we remain up to date with the latest news, methods and standards, ensuring we provide the best possible volunteer experience for the many people, young and older, who are a part of IOE. We pride ourselves in being leaders in volunteer initiatives, particularly in regard to youth volunteering, and constantly strive to let our volunteers know how much they are appreciated.

Read more about what’s happening during National Volunteer Week at https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/nvw/

To find out more about the many volunteering opportunities at IOE visit our volunteering page https://www.ioe.org.au/get-involved/volunteers/   or contact our volunteer coordinators on 9758 5522 or volunteers@ioe.org.au