108 Bargara Rd
Bundaberg East, Qld, 4670
Dael Giddins has a long history of serving her community, so it was no surprise to anyone when she decided to sign up as a volunteer in IMPACT Community Services' Community Visitor Scheme.
But Dael was in for a surprise when she learned that her mother, Patricia Woodcock, was the very first IMPACT CVS volunteer in Gayndah. She signed up in 2002 and visited Gayndah's elderly residents for 10 years.
Dael's mother Pat also had a long history of serving her community and was keen to pass on that sense of social duty and responsibility to her daughter.
“Mum got me started in the Junior Red Cross,” she said.
Are you interested in volunteering? Learn more about CVS
Growing up, Dael's family didn't have it easy, and often struggled.
“But Mum was always ready to help others, even when it was a struggle to put food on the table.
And that lesson from her mum has been well-learned as Dael is well-known in her town for supporting her community, having started working in Local Government full-time from the age of 15.
She is a Division 4 Councillor on North Burnett Council but is also very active in volunteering endeavours.
She is active in community sport and has spent countless hours volunteering for organisations and currently holds executive positions within the Gayndah Rotary Club, Central Regional Little Athletics and Gayndah Orange Festival Committee, while being an active member of the Gayndah CWA (she opens and closes the CWA rooms every day), and the Gayndah District Netball Association.
Find out what other services are available at IMPACT
Dael has had a long association with Central & Upper Burnett District Home for the Aged (Gunther Village) and is now a board member for the facility.
“Mum started the Gunther op shop 35 years ago to raise money to buy them equipment,” Cr Giddins said.
And Dael has honoured her mum's legacy once again at Gunther by working in the shop.
Her voice is filled with pride when talking about her Mum and her efforts in the community.
“Mum loved teaching crafts, playing cards, she just loved that interaction,” she said. “She was a very thoughtful person.”
Dael has only recently signed up to be a community visitor but she is really looking forward to providing a little bit of companionship to a resident who needs a friend, and has been trying to encourage others to sign up at CVS.
“You can do so much for someone by just a little effort,” she said, “but it makes a big difference in their lives. I encourage people to give up an hour or two of their time to make a difference in someone's life.”
If you want to find out more about volunteering call IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme coordinator Heather Hinsbey on 4153 4233.
IMPACT Community Services is setting up a pop-up stall at Hinkler Central so if you've ever been curious about what we can do for you, come on down and say hello.
We'll be setting up just outside the Cotton On store from Tuesday, November 3 to Thursday, November 5.
It's a great chance to come down and have a look at the diverse range of support services we have.
We will have staff from key parts of the organisation to answer any questions you may have about training, job services and family and individual support.
Check out our range of support programs
For example, we have a new training course in hospitality starting November 16. Come and find out all about it.
And if you’ve ever thought about volunteering with IMPACT come and have a chat.
“Over the last 40 years, IMPACT has supported thousands of people to improve their life opportunities,” said IMPACT Managing Director Tanya O'Shea.
“It is therefore essential that we connect with our community to ensure that our programs and services remain relevant and accessible.
“These events are more than just an opportunity to promote our services. They are an excellent opportunity for our team to listen to the needs of people within our community.”
Find out what training courses are available at IMPACT
We will also be doing a very quick survey where people can go into the draw to win a $100 gift voucher and a huge jar of lollies. Just guess the number of lollies in the jar!
We'd love to see you and find out how we can support your dreams and change your life.
Anyone is eligible to win the $100 gift voucher.
Entries are made by answering the IMPACT Community Services’ survey at Hinkler Central Shopping Centre 3rd - 5th November 2020.
1 free guess is provided upon completion of the survey per person.
The prize will be drawn on Friday the 6th November, winners to be notified by phone.
The results will be published on IMPACT’s Facebook page.
If the winner does not claim the prize within 5 business days, the voucher will be redrawn.
In the case of multiple correct guesses, a name will be drawn randomly.
This draw is run by IMPACT Community Services’ Communications Manager Adam Wratten.
By Tanya O'Shea, IMPACT Community Services Managing Director
Last week was National Carers Week, and in honour of the millions of carers around Australia I would like to this week touch on the incredible service of our local carers and volunteers who contribute to our community every day.
Carers are people who support friends, families and loved ones achieve their day-to-day needs. Normally when someone who might be aged, have a disability, an illness or a mental health condition needs care, it is provided by someone they know and trust. Sometimes people don’t even know they might be classed as a “carer”. People who care for their parents, partners, siblings or children can think their role of providing care is one simply of moral obligation. However, there is carer funding available for those who are eligible. It’s important our carers and volunteers are not only looking after their loved ones, but themselves as well, and there are supports available for that.
The selfless act of caring and volunteering makes a real difference in the lives of not only the recipients, but to service providers as well. Research has shown the act of giving provides a great sense of value and fulfilment to the volunteer too.
Our Community Visitors Scheme has been operating out of IMPACT Community Services since 1992, and for 28 years we’ve been connecting lonely people with volunteers with great success. However, like many face-to-face services, our CVS program has been hit hard by the restrictions implemented to manage COVID-19 effectively.
It is a sad fact that many of the people our volunteers visit are alone and lonely in aged care facilities. Many don’t have family or friends in the area, and do not get external visitors other than those established through the CVS program. We operate not only in Bundaberg but Childers, Gin Gin, Monto and Gayndah, and across the board we’re seeing volunteer numbers drop significantly as a result of Coronavirus restrictions.
Mental health and wellness has been a battle for many people throughout this pandemic, and our elderly are not excluded from that. Many of our volunteers find themselves falling within in the “at-risk” category and, with the addition of tight visiting limitations, very few visitors are now able to meet with someone to brighten their day.
We are working to overcome this hurdle by connecting digitally. Our CVS program has sourced electronic tablets to assist in this space and facilitate a virtual meeting. We are encouraging anybody who has a spare hour each week, or even fortnight, to connect with a lonely person in aged care. It really makes the world of difference.
According to Volunteering Australia, the top reasons why people volunteer are to help others, for personal satisfaction, to do something worthwhile, to gain social contact themselves, and to be active. Volunteers also provide an economic benefit, with an estimated $14 billion of unpaid labour served each year. It’s safe to say not only Bundaberg but the entire country come to a grinding halt if it wasn’t for the commendable gift of time our volunteers give. Let’s give thanks to their efforts and encourage others to take up the amazing act of volunteering and caring for our treasured senior citizens.
Of course, as restrictions begin to ease in this space, we are facilitating face-to-face visits. If you’d like to get involved, either virtually or in person, you can contact our CVS Coordinator, Heather Hinsbey, on 0448 035 891 or 4153 4233.
Stronger Together with IMPACT's Managing Director Tanya O'Shea
Queensland Mental Health week is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. As a workplace, IMPACT Community Services values the mental health and wellbeing of our people. We aim to create a safe space by sharing our stories, encouraging self-care practice, and providing opportunities for debriefs and check in’s just to remind each other that we care.
Need assistance in overcoming life's obstacles? Our Community Navigators are here to help.
Supporting and encouraging mental health within the workplace is now common practice, with a significant shift in society’s attitudes paving the way for greater acceptance of mental health problems and increased support being provided to people who may be experiencing some issues. Some workplaces have developed their own internal resources and frameworks for increasing mental health awareness within their business, whilst others rely on the vast array of free resources available online.
The Queensland Government’s ‘Dear Mind’ draws inspiration from the Wheel of Wellbeing, sharing tips and information linked to health, learning, kindness, connection, taking notice and nature. The site also assists individuals to create an activity deck, a highly personalised selection of activities tailored to support and improve mental wellbeing.
Today, we have choice and opportunities available to take charge of our personal mental wellbeing. The resources available online provide great inspiration and suggestions for how to get started. Yet, many people recognise the benefit and know where to find the information but have done nothing about it. Now I say this with compassion and not judgment as I completely understand that people are time poor and may be left wondering, ‘Who has time to fit something else into their day?’
Interested in volunteering? Contact our CVS program today.
My personal belief is that we need to make the time. We owe it to our partner, our kids, our family, our friends. Most importantly, we owe it to ourselves. On a plane, the flight attendant will always remind us to put our own oxygen mask on first before assisting others. If you have not got it on already, the time has come to put on that oxygen mask. Lalah Delia suggests that ‘dself-care is how you take your power back’. Power comes from taking back control over your choices and where you spend your time and energy. Power comes from taking care of yourself first.
To achieve this, we need to take action. So, to get started, consider focusing on one thing that really matters to you. One of my goals was to establish a consistent morning routine that would enable me to be in control of how I set myself up for my day. Realistically, this is a huge goal and felt so incredibly overwhelming that it took time for me to take any action. After a while, I decided to chunk it down into some smaller goals that felt more realistic and achievable, with a focus on doing one thing at a time until it became automatic.
My one thing that mattered to me was to stop looking at my phone when waking in the morning. It mattered because I am aware that within the first eight minutes of waking up, our brain is more flexible, providing a great opportunity to take control of this time and feed our minds with positive information. Checking text messages, social media accounts and scrolling through emails during this time will instead hand this control over to someone else. Doing this each day might sound simple, however it took some time to break my pattern, decide on what I wished to focus on for that eight minutes and necessitated the phone being moved into another room while sleeping to avoid the temptation to check it. However, it eventually became automatic, and once achieving that goal, I set a new goal and when it became automatic, I set another. After many years and lots of experimenting, I have found a morning routine that works for me and incorporates self-care practices that effectively support my personal mental health.
Queensland Mental Health Week (October 10 to 18) is the perfect opportunity to start doing that one thing that will support you. Whatever you decide to do, remember what works for someone else may not work for you. Keep experimenting and do not give up until you find that one thing that matters to you, and then be consistent and practice it daily. If you forget to do it, be kind to yourself and pick it up again the next day. Above all, be persistent, hold that one thing tight and remind yourself why you are doing this. It’s not selfish to make time for your mental health. You are worth it.
Today, October 2 is the International day of Non-Violence. Our region has historically experienced shockingly high statistics of domestic violence, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened the number of violent acts being committed in homes in the Bundaberg region.
At IMPACT Community Services we have seen a spike in domestic violence cases following the outbreak of Coronavirus and the following restrictions and lockdown period. We are engaged with families involved with domestic violence every day. Our incredible Intensive Family Support (IFS) staff work tirelessly with families in violent circumstances, and help at-risk partners and children flee their homes when things become unbearable. Our IFS staff are on the frontlines and bear witness to the distressing situations many people are involved in.
Of course, it’s never okay to become violent to anyone or anything, but we understand there are several complex factors involved when this type of act is prevalent in families.
Need assistance in overcoming life's obstacles? Our Community Navigators are here to help.
When underlying issues involving financial burdens, drug use and alcohol abuse are present, the additional advice during COVID-19 to limit social outings and on-site work have compounded pre-existing pressures in homes that may have already been ill-equipped to manage stress adequately. Many workers lost their jobs or were given reduced hours when the pandemic hit, adding fuel to an already stoked fire.
The important message to get across here is that there are services available to people in these situations. Our IFS staff don’t judge families who need assistance. We approach any given situation with open minds and a willingness to help. Ultimately, our staff want to make a difference in people’s lives. We work to prevent Government departments becoming involved, to give people the opportunity to build strong and healthy futures for themselves. We work to broaden available support networks to help both the parent’s and children’s wellbeing.
Parenting is the world’s hardest job, and everyone is a on a learning journey – it’s okay to reach out for help. When families are ready for support, we let them lead the conversation in how we can best assist them to make beneficial changes within the family dynamic. We can also help with tenancy support, connecting people with specialist appointments, parenting tips, behavior management tools, household management and routine structure, safety planning, advocating for services such as mental health or for housing, and provide access to DV Connect.
Interested in volunteering? Contact our CVS program today.
Sometimes people don’t understand the severity of their situation until they speak with someone removed from the immediate family structure. There are varying forms of violence and abuse, be that physical, mental or emotional, and acknowledging someone’s trauma can help them understand the realities of their lived experiences. Having someone to talk to is the first step to recovery, and once the conversation has begun, IFS can then approach their needs in a holistic way, wrapping support around people and families as needed.
When applying for certain assistance, families can become overwhelmed with tight criteria and departmental jargon that can be difficult to decipher. Our staff help clients articulate exactly what they need so they can be aligned with the services they are entitled to.
It’s important to remember that domestic violence is never okay and there are services available to help. If you are experiencing violence in your home, you can phone 1800 737 732 (1800 RESPECT) or DV Connect on 1800 811 811.
If you’d like to make a referral for support, you can contact Family and Child Connect on 13 32 34.
If you’re in need of assistance but unsure about how to proceed, please feel free to phone our IFS team for advice on 4153 4233.
IMPACT Community Services MD Tanya O'Shea will tomorrow speak at CQUniversity’s Festival of Change where she will discuss the conception of one of the organisation’s social enterprises.
The festival is a learning opportunity facilitated by CQUniversity’s Office of Social Innovation and runs from August 31 through to September 18.
The national event is designed to celebrate and bring life to changemaking within the CQUni community. It also aims to acknowledge the positive impact the university and its stakeholders are having on the world while promoting opportunities for engagement, learning and collaboration.
Speak to New Image Laundry today
Mrs O'Shea has been invited to speak on the ideation phase of IMPACT's second social enterprise, New Image Laundry.
“I'll be sharing our journey of looking for a social enterprise that benefited both us and the community,” Mrs O'Shea said.
“We'd had great outcomes with the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and we wanted to add another.”
She said the focus was on job creation to achieve social outcomes.
“We wanted another social enterprise, like the MRF, that could create jobs for the community particularly for people with a disability and mental illness,” Mrs O'Shea said.
Recycle with IMPACT's Material Recycling Facility
The criteria for the business was that it had to provide low-skill work for our assisted workers, add value to the community, and it had to fill a gap in the business landscape.
Tanya and her team brainstormed several different ideas and decided to trial five different businesses: a cleaning company, a car-detailing business, a fishing lure manufacturing business, a jam-making business and the laundry.
They all had potential as an independent revenue stream, so they trialled them all for two years, but four fell short for different reasons.
“The jam-making business was very successful, so much so that we couldn't keep up with orders, but the business wasn't scalable,” Mrs O'Shea said. “The one that ticked the most boxes was the laundry.”
Before the current New Image Laundry, IMPACT had bought existing business Peg and Iron and rented a premises at East Bundaberg. In 2016 IMPACT purchased the vacant block of land at Inglis Court and built the new state of the art facility that is in operation today.
Give a little, get a lot: volunteer with us
“We went on a fact-finding road trip and got a lot of useful help and information from a number of commercial laundries including Vanguard Laundry, another social enterprise in Toowoomba,” Mrs O'Shea said.
“We took the idea to government and they provided us with $900,000 towards the $2.8million required to set up the business and since then it's been very successful in creating employment.”
The Festival of Change session will follow the Human Centred Design framework. Mrs O'Shea will be joining panel members prominent in the field, such as Elise Parrups, CEO Qld Social Enterprise Council, and Leslie Lowe, a fellow CQUni Alumnus Winner.
CQUniversity is well regarded as Australia’s most inclusive and engaged university, with social innovation as a driving value and ethos. It has received accreditation from Ashoka U as Australia’s only changemaker campus. As one of Bundaberg's most successful community service forward thinkers, IMPACT is a passionate advocate for social innovation in the region.
Welcome to the latest instalment in our Awkward Conversations series.
Awkward Conversations is an IMPACT Community Services' initiative where we explore some of the challenging issues happening in homes across the region.
Today we look at how to get back out into social life after the passing of a long-time partner.
Awkward Conversations: Focusing on teenage same-sex relationships.
Awkward Conversations: My b/f wants a naked shot of me.
Awkward Conversations: Should I move to Brisbane to look for work?
Widow: Since my husband passed away 5 years ago, I’ve been so lonely. I’ve lost contact with the friends we used to have and I’m not sure I want to re-connect with them now. How do I make friends in a place like Bundaberg? Everyone seems to know each other and I don’t have the confidence I used to have to start talking to strangers. Any help you can provide would be great because it’s getting me more and more depressed.
Friend: Well, first I'd think about visiting a doctor to talk about your depression, and if your GP thinks that there are solutions in community organisations, then perhaps ask for a referral to Ozcare who can assist you with linking to other services. There are lots of community programs and social groups you might want to investigate.
There is a Community Visitors Scheme that organises willing volunteers to visit you in your own home. You don't have to commit to anything but it might be nice to have a volunteer over for a cup of tea and a chat. You might even consider volunteering yourself. The good thing is that you know the person will be glad to see you because they've signed up for that very purpose. There are lots of ways to connect with people and you don't have to do it alone. There are lots of programs that are already set up for that very thing.
Make sure you keep an eye out as we explore more important topics in coming weeks. Our responses are purely hypothetical; each person's case will be different and what might be the right decision for one person may not be for another.
We’d love to hear from you if you’ve got a question you would like us to delve into. Simply share a comment on our Facebook page, or if it’s something you would prefer to keep confidential, email communications@impact.org.au
You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. At least that’s the lived experience of IMPACT Community Services’ new Finance Manager Juanita Farley.
Juanita brings a mountain of experience to her new role at IMPACT from a wide variety of jobs both around Australia and the world. Judging by her first six weeks working for the organisation, she said she is settling in nicely to her collaborative and supportive surroundings.
“I’ve done quite a lot of things, both in Australia and overseas, and I have background experience in lots of different industries,” she said.
“But IMPACT is the first employer I’ve ever had who took the time to make sure we were the right fit for one another by hosting a Teams meeting with other staff before taking the position.”
Born and raised in the inland town of Biggenden, Juanita set her sights on big city lights when she moved away at age 18. She decided to move to London for six months – which quickly turned into six years.
Since then, working in oil and gas, mining, financial services and not-for-profit industries have made up just some of the feathers in Juanita’s hat, and moving back to the small city of Brisbane after living the high life in the Big Smoke seemed a somewhat daunting task.
Juanita thought she would struggle living in such a small city again, but after settling in to BrisVegas, even that became too big for her.
“My motivation was to come back to grassroots, be closer to family and I was also attracted to the healthier and more relaxed lifestyle,” she said. “I just became sick of the hustle and bustle of city life and found myself wanting to slow it down and keep life simple.”
What resonated with Juanita were her aligned core values with IMPACT.
“IMPACT is a not-for-profit organisation, and the feeling of actually making a difference in people’s lives really does make work more meaningful,” she said. “Also, the flexibility was attractive and the employee benefits that come with working for public benevolent institution.
“The other thing I found appealing is the fact IMPACT will pay you for 2 hours a month to volunteer for another charity.”
Reward yourself, volunteer with IMPACT
The role of Finance Manager is a perfect balance for Juanita who gets to juggle the black and white of accounting with the diversity of managing industry and culture.
“Everyone seems lovely, very supportive, and it just seems like a very nice working environment. Very collaborative and supportive,” Juanita said.
Other than work, Juanita is loving the short 12-minute commute from Bargara and can easily drop her daughter off at St Luke’s on the way in.
“Bargara is just magical,” she said.
The call has gone out for volunteers in the Gayndah and Monto communities to join IMPACT Community Services’ Community Visitors Scheme (CVS).
The scheme links volunteers with residents in aged care facilities, including Gunther Village in Gayndah and Ridgehaven in Monto. CVS can also link volunteers to clients in their homes who receive a Home Care Package.
Many elderly people are missing key interactions, and even more so in these COVID times.
CVS coordinator Heather Hinsbey said volunteering was an amazing way to contribute.
Ms Hinsbey said the organisation had seen a drop in volunteer numbers from the onset of COVID.
“If you have a little spare time, would like to make a new friend or change someone’s life for the better, talk to us today about volunteering in the Community Visitors Scheme,” Ms Hinsbey said.
“Our volunteers take great pride in becoming a regular friendly visitor and enriching the quality of life of the people they visit.
“Perhaps you’ll enjoy having a game of cards, listening to music, playing a board game, taking a short walk outside, helping to write letters, reminiscing about days gone by or simply having a chat and a cuppa.
“We ask that you are able to make a regular visit, approximately an hour a week.”
She said volunteering provided a healthy boost to a person’s self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction.
“Regardless of your skill set, we love engaging with people from varied backgrounds and welcome all volunteers as valued members of an amazing team,” Ms Hinsbey said.
Find out why Roy volunteered for 28 years
She said she was frequently confronted with people praising the benefits of the scheme, to visitors and residents alike.
“I often hear from our volunteers about how much they get out of the scheme,” she said.
"Our volunteers often tell me 'If you think that I am giving to the resident I visit, well whatever I give, I get three times more'.”
If you are interested in volunteering in the CVS, contact Heather Hinsbey at IMPACT on 4153 4233.
If there was a list of people that should be named a Saint, Roy McGuiness is sure to be at the top.
After 28 years of making meaningful friendships with people in aged care, Roy is regretfully hanging up his volunteer boots to focus on his health and family.
IMPACT Community Services takes pride in thanking Roy for his hard work and dedication to the cause. His decision comes at the beginning of Seniors Week and offers a timely reminder of why it’s so important to spend time with the elderly community and offer valued companionship to people who would otherwise be lonely.
The 75-year-old began with IMPACT’s Community Visitors Scheme in 1992 which is when the pilot program was first rolled out in Australia, making Roy one of the longest serving CVS volunteers in the country.
Roy said anybody who doesn’t volunteer is missing out.
“I just love everything about it,” the retiree said.
After a demanding career in telecommunications Roy wanted to pursue a more rewarding role, so he enrolled in SkillShare’s (an earlier version of IMPACT) 12-week Aged Care course. He worked his way into the industry by first volunteering at Kepnock Grove and not long after became employed as a carer and cleaner.
Start your career in aged care
At the beginning of his aged care career Roy could only pick up shifts in the morning and evening, so he would ride his pushbike around town under the midday sun to voluntarily visit his friends in the CVS program.
“I rode 25 miles one day,” he said. “Then I did two hours work after that.”
Roy enjoyed everything about the kind-hearted act, from the fulfilling companionship he offered others, to the life stories he got to hear and the extended families he grew to know.
“That’s the best part,” Roy said. “When you get to meet their family members and develop relationships with them, that’s when it gets really good.”
Family members really appreciate the impact that CVS volunteers have, as often family are not in the same town, leaving their loved ones with no local connections.
Over the years Roy made such detailed reports of his visits with participants that IMPACT staff felt like they had been there in the room themselves.
Without a doubt, Roy has shared in some emotional times and has been to many funerals throughout his career. But the heartache of losing someone simply reflects the depth of friendship gained.
Roy said volunteering is a very rewarding and important opportunity to help others.
“It’s such a heart-warming thing to do,” he said.
If he could, Roy would go on volunteering forever, however it’s time for him to step aside and let others fill his shoes.
If you are interested in meeting new people and making a real difference in someone’s life, phone us today on 4153 4233 or visit the volunteer information page our website.
Tammy Bentley is a living example of how to turn a setback into an opportunity, bringing life and colour to elderly residents in IMPACT’s Community Visitors Scheme (CVS).
A few years ago Tammy injured her back and had to regularly go to Brisbane. She decided all the time she spent waiting and on trains could be put to better use, so she bought some supplies and began colouring.
The creative outlet provided her with a positive distraction and relief and something she was eager to share with others.
One day she was at IMPACT Community Services for an appointment and learned about the CVS.
She suggested to the scheme’s facilitator, Heather Hinsbey, that she'd like to share her skills with others and signed up.
Tammy started a class for 12 people every Sunday at an aged care facility before COVID-19 struck.
During the restrictions when she could not go in, she delivered packs for all of the participating residents on a regular basis.
And now that the restrictions have eased she does one-on-one visits for all her burgeoning artists.
Tammy is actually a professional colourist and does work with book covers. She is friends with lots of artists and book compilers and has amassed hundreds of designs and pictures, along with permission to share them.
While for so many people, the coronavirus threw everything into turmoil, it only made Tammy more determined to share her knowledge.
“Life will never be the same,” Tammy said.
“It has made me think outside of the box and I'm always thinking of ideas to make it better.
“Everybody is learning, me included.”
Tammy knows she's hit upon a great remedy for anyone who needs a respite from their problems and issues, or just an opportunity to “get out of the doldrums”.
“Everyone needs a creative outlet and this is very therapeutic, very meditative and highly addictive,” she said.
Tammy regards the residents she visits as family now.
“Nothing beats spending quality time with them, colouring and talking and laughing,” she said.
IMPACT is always looking for more volunteers to join its CVS program. If you are interested in helping provide friendship to one of our region’s elderly call 4153 4233 or click here.
Greg and Judy Stubbs are volunteers with IMPACT Community Services and they love the relationships they’ve developed with the people they go and see.
As volunteers in the Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) they love being able to provide this support, meeting people and hearing their stories. But the benefit is not just for the participants but for the visitor, too.
IMPACT desperately needs more volunteers to help provide support and company for elderly people across the region who would love to regularly see a friendly face.
“I just love learning about things, and all about the jobs these guys have had,” Greg said. “The fellow I'm visiting now has had so many interesting jobs: he owned a trawler, he's worked on oil rigs, he was a lighthouse-keeper, and he drove buses across the Nullarbor.
“And he was an undersea diver and he even held the Australian record for diving depth.”
Greg will spend 40 minutes to an hour with his new friends in their homes. The daughter of one said that “Dad always looks forward to you coming for a chat”.
For Greg and Judy the conversations were also a way to learn about their new home.
“We've only been here six years and we've learned so much from Greg's conversations with those he visits,” Judy said. “We're from Rosewood down near Ipswich. We looked everywhere but didn't want to join the rat-race, and someone suggested Bargara, and we saw Coral Cove and that was it.”
Greg said he’d always wanted to volunteer. One day saw a billboard promoting IMPACT and calling for volunteers to visit the elderly. He picked up the phone.
“It was just something I always wanted to do,” Greg said.
“Even back years ago, when I was still working, just to go and visit some old folks and have a chat. I'm a good talker, so I knew I wouldn't find it difficult.
“There's always something you can find out when you talk to them, especially the old guys who were involved in the second world war, and life back in the 40s and 50s. You learn things that you don't read about.”
Greg has new been volunteering for four years.
At the start, Judy was volunteering in the hospitals. As Greg shared the stories from his visits, she thought it would be good to join herself.
“I've been visiting Inge for over a year now,” Judy said.
“She's just turned 91 and told me all about growing up in communist East Germany. She's very fit and the first thing we do is go for a walk.
“We even took her to the show and she won prizes for her crochet work. And now she's crocheting beanies for my daughter and my granddaughter.”
And it doesn't take much to establish that human connection so many of our elderly need.
“If you talk to them you find out things you have in common,” said Greg.
“It could be they had a job that was similar to yours, or a sport they played. It doesn't take much to establish that connection.”
If you are interested in volunteering in the CVS, contact Heather Hinsbey at IMPACT on 4153 4233.
Volunteer Tony Cartledge says he hit the jackpot the day he took a chance and contacted IMPACT Community Services.
Tony is one of IMPACT’s volunteers. He describes the work he does “like the perfect job”.
Tony is IMPACT's volunteer content writer; a valuable member of the Marketing and Communications team. And it seems the arrangement is a match made in heaven.
With the spotlight on the generous contribution of volunteers across the country for National Volunteers Week, IMPACT’s Innovation General Manager Nathan Spruce said it was amazing what could happen when people were open to thinking outside the box.
Tony’s gift with the written word is helping breathe new life into IMPACT’s story telling capacity and ability to let people in the community know about the life-changing programs the organisation runs.
Tony said it all started when he had to organise his own mutual obligation volunteer position.
Rather than doing what everyone else was doing, he wanted to make use of his skills as a writer, honed at the NewsMail as an advertising features writer and sub-editor and also as a published author and aspiring novelist.
He said he hit the jackpot on the first try.
“I emailed IMPACT and got a call from Nathan almost straight away,” Tony said.
“They were expanding the use of original content and needed someone exactly like me.
“It's great work, and right up my alley. I basically talk to staff and clients and help them tell their fascinating stories and how IMPACT is transforming their lives.
“And it's especially meaningful knowing all the good work that IMPACT does in the community.”
Tony writes most of the blog posts on IMPACT’s website and the social media posts.
Tony has done volunteering before, at the Bundaberg Tourism Information Centre, but he said this position was the perfect combination of the use of his individual skills and the best use he feels he could make of them.
Mr Spruce said it was a win-win being able to match someone with the skills and experience with a position that helped the organisation.
He said volunteers brought great benefits to organisations and the broader community.
“We are so pleased that Tony reached out to us and we’re able to utilise the skills he has and harbour the passion he brings,” Mr Spruce said.
“We feel there’s a real sense of purpose in everything Tony does and he is highly regarded as an important part of our team.”
If you want to volunteer with IMPACT call 4153 4233.
Poppy, 98, thoroughly enjoys her visits from IMPACT Community Services volunteer Margie Boyd, but now Margie is able to take Poppy on adventures into the wider world from the comfort of her own home.
Margie is a volunteer with IMPACT's Community Visitors Scheme (CVS), which provides that all-important regular contact that some of our elderly are missing.
Now Margie is able to use technology to make those visits far more exciting and rewarding.
IMPACT's CVS program has several sets of virtual reality goggles that can give residents access to a world of amazing experiences, including National Geographic footage of such adventures as sailing down the Nile, sitting and watching elephants, a trip to space, and sailing through Antarctica, looking at the icebergs.
There are also some meditation apps, where one can relax in a rainforest or a beautiful garden. The VR technology allows experiences to be tailored to the individuals interests and hobbies, or someone’s own culture.
“Poppy loves new things,” said Margie (pictured with IMPACT's Steven Hull).
“She's not afraid of new technology like this. She's an innovator. And she loves nature.
“Every time I go we visit her garden and look at her plants, which she's very proud of. I mentioned the googles to her and she's keen to use them. So next visit she'll be able to see some other gardens.”
Margie has been visiting Poppy for about eight months and looks forward to her visits just as much as Poppy does.
“She has so much history, she knows so much, I love to hear her stories,” Margie said.
“She's encouraging and she looks forward to our visits. And it’s helpful for her to voice what she wants to do because she still has plans for things she wants to achieve.”
IMPACT's CVS program connects volunteers with people in aged-care homes or in their own home.
If you want to find out more about becoming a volunteer call 4153 4233.
Georgie Jackson has been writing poems for 40 years, and with the help of her community visitor, they may well find their way into print.
Georgie, 87, came to the Bundaberg region in her early 40s and stayed 16 years. She and her husband were caretakers at the showgrounds.
Then she left town, and came back four years ago from Bendigo.
She has been at her Fairways home in North Bundy for 18 months and loves it there.
“They have a great facility,” Georgie said.
“But I felt a little isolated. I couldn’t get out much and had no one here but the family.”
That’s when IMPACT’s Community Visitor Scheme came to the rescue. Someone in the Fairways office had suggested it, so they got in contact with IMPACT and we sent her Tessa.
It was a match made in heaven.
Before COVID-19’s arrival Tessa visited Georgie every Friday for about a year.
“I made sure I made no other plans on Friday, that was Georgie’s day,” Tessa said.
“Since COVID we have to talk by phone now. We talk a couple of times each week.”
She said she couldn’t wait to see Georgie in person again and had even got her flu vaccine, for the first time in her life, so she could visit at the earliest opportunity once restrictions allowed.
“It’s a genuine friendship now," Tessa said.
“I get more out of it than she does.
“Georgie’s a people person.
“They all fall in love with Georgie.”
Both ladies enjoy writing poetry, something Georgie has done since her early 40s.
“I had some bad side effects from blood pressure tablets and had to go into care,” Georgie said.
“While I was there I felt my mother’s presence and just started to write poetry. Later I found our old family bible and there were some verses in the back, and I found out they were Mum’s.”
When she was 72, Georgie went back to TAFE and learned "anything and everything".
“You never stop learning,” Georgie said.
She also paints and one of her artworks won a $400 art prize and is on show at the Bendigo Hospital.
Georgie has had a hard and varied life, being one of eight girls who then grew up and married a share farmer. That full, rich life is where all the poems come from.
But now the poems don’t come as easily as they used to. Perhaps sharing hers with her CVS buddy Tessa, who is also an avid poet, will get the pen flowing again.
“I’ve been blessed finding Georgie,” said Tessa, who wants a typewriter to compile all of Georgie’s poetry to share with everyone.
Before COVID-19 struck, Georgie and Tessa attended a morning tea for CVS participants and had a wonderful time. If she was more mobile Georgie would love to be a visitor herself, sharing her gifts with others.
IMPACT needs more volunteers. If you want to volunteer call 4153 4233 or register at https://www.impact.org.au/forms/volunteer-today
One of Georgie’s poem:
Pine Tree
It’s spring and I’m in love with life
Although I’m only just a girl
I’m filled with an alerted rife
I feel this feeling sway and swirl
My head is full of things to do
Not chores like dishes, beds and floor
I wish I could explain to you
The longing to rush through the door
To climb a pine tree very high
Is really where I want to go
To smell the sap and feel the sigh
And look on family down below
There’s lizard’s basking in the sun
Old wombat in his hole asleep
The early morning’s just begun
All this beauty mine to keep
As I nestle here alone
The sunshine warm upon my face
All aspects of the day are gone
It truly is a peaceful place
I’ve day-dreamed here for quite a while
Time to me means nothing yet
It’s times like these that make me smile
I’d like to stay ‘til sun is set
But I must venture down it seems
To face the chores I left undone
For a while I’ll leave my dreams
And just pretend I’m having fun
I bravely face my mother’s scowl
I feel her hand smart on my seat
I’m so in love I cannot howl
I think about the blossoms sweet
I feel so good about the spring
It fills my days with love and joy
I’d rather walk the bush and sing
Than play with any man-made toy
It’s sad to think they punish me
It’s hard for me to comprehend
I’d rather climb up in my tree
And have a kookaburra friend
How serious my family are
One day I hope they’ll come with me
It really isn’t very far
There’s happiness up in my tree
Please note: This website may contain references to, or feature images, videos, and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have passed away.